Growing Up
by Danym
Summary: Grissom and Sara continue to build their relationship. This is a sequel to Child's Play and the Baby Series. Chapter 20 is up! [GSR Complete]
1. Growing Up

Growing up

By Dany

Summary: Grissom and Sara continue to build their relationship.

A/N: This is a sequel to "Child's Play". I decided to give this a try and continue this story. I hope you will like. Thanks to Ace for her help.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI

xxxxx

"Hey, come in!"

Sara opened the door wide and stepped aside to let Grissom in. He had his hands behind his back, and when he didn't show them, her eyebrow lifted in amusement while her eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Dessert, as promised," Grissom smiled, but still kept his hands out of her sight.

Sara didn't move from her spot at the door, not even to close it, so he passed her carefully, making sure to face her. He slipped into the kitchen and put whatever he had brought into the fridge.

By now, Sara had closed the door. "Can I enter my own kitchen now?"

She tried to sound annoyed, but secretly, she was jumping with joy. She loved this side of him.

Grissom was such a serious man most of the time, but when they had delved deeper in their relationship and became more relaxed around each other, he had shown her the side of him that had been buried deep within. She thought she had gotten a glimpse of it when they first met, and all those years she wondered if it had only been her imagination. Now she knew it was not just in her head; he had never been relaxed enough to let go of the tight rein he had over his other side.

As she looked at Grissom, standing in her kitchen, staring into the oven where their dinner was cooking, she felt a warm tingle spread over her.

Since the little girls birthday party over two months ago, they had steadily moved their relationship forward. Their tight schedule at work gave them little time, but they made sure to do something together at least twice a week.

Sometimes it was breakfast, sometimes it was dinner. She had taken him to the movies; he had taken her to the opera. She had wanted to visit some art museum; he had wanted to see a baseball game.

Then, two weeks ago, he had proposed dinner at his place, and Sara had been overwhelmed at how much he was willing to open up. Since then, they had eaten twice at his place and tonight was the second time at hers. With each 'date,' they had gotten more comfortable around each other, and slowly an easiness settled around them, which was mostly characterized by some playful teasing and some heavy make out sessions.

Oh god, they were behaving like teenagers.

It was not only Grissom that seemed to have some hangups about crossing the final line; Sara herself was being hesitant. This was Grissom after all.

This had been pending for over ten years now, and as much as she wanted it to be perfect, the odds were against them. They had waited _too_ long it seemed. Their nervousness would blow things out of proportion and possibly ruin their first time.

She also felt a bit insecure about how to go about it, which was ridiculous. She'd had sex before, but this was Grissom.

Grissom!

The point was, she wanted both of them to be absolutely sure that this was the right moment, and no matter how it turned out, to be able to deal with it.

It had been hard pulling away, but somehow they had always managed to stop. Maybe tonight…

She chided herself for straying so far and returned to watching Grissom, just in time to see him walk back to her. She felt his lips plying hers open and gave into him. She wouldn't have wanted to miss that.

xxxxx

Her lips were so soft, and she tasted so good. Grissom's higher brain functions were non-existent as his hands wove into her silky tresses, trying to feel her, get close, revel in her incredible warmth.

Why had they waited so long?

Oh yeah, his own stupidity.

'Focus,' he told himself and let himself be immersed by her very essence again.

Suddenly a shrill ringing broke through the cloud that surrounded his head. He shook it slightly, trying to clear his ears and not dislodge their lips, but it kept on ringing.

Sara pulled away with a start, and Grissom tried to floor her backward movement. She gripped his arms, halting any further advancement, also shaking her head a bit. He realized it was not to tell him off, but to clear her head.

"I think that was the oven timer. Our food's going to burn," she said when the ringing finally stopped.

A sheepish smile graced his face, but he was somehow pleased that she too had been lost in their own little bubble to react right away. Neither of them moved, still keeping contact and soaking up the heady feelings of arousal.

When Grissom took a deep breath to take the scent of her hair in, he also got a whiff of the food and remembered why they had broken apart in the first place. "Dinner."

"Oh yeah, right."

Reluctantly they broke apart, making him feel the loss immediately. To soften the blow to his body, his hand slid to the small of her back, the single touch sustaining him.

Sara took their dinner out of the oven and placed it on the counter. She had made pasta, which looked promising to him, even without meat.

"What are we having?" he asked, seating himself next to her.

Taking one look at Sara, who was dividing the mass in the form, he realized that it didn't matter what they were having because his senses would be otherwise occupied.

"Cannelloni with ricotta and zucchini. I will convert you, you'll see."

When they had relaxed at their shared meals, Sara had started teasing him about their different eating habits. She didn't mind if he ate meal, but only as long as he was not handling it raw in front of her, and he didn't try to convert _her_. He knew better than that. Despite his previous lapse, he hadn't forgotten why she had become a vegetarian and always respected her decision. That didn't mean that she would stop teasing him, and although he enjoyed it, he put on a pout just for her amusement.

"You are so not hurt. Stop the pout and let's eat," she laughed, calling him on his bluff.

xxxxx

They were relaxing on the couch, watching some chick flick that Sara had dug up, reasoning that if they were a couple, they should have had at least one evening where she forced him to sit through a sappy love story so that he could complain about it the whole time.

The problem was, they were not an average couple.

Grissom didn't put up much of a fight – to be honest, none at all; he only asked once why she wanted to watch this particular movie – and he didn't complain once throughout the whole movie.

Sara, on the other hand, couldn't stop talking.

Almost every scene was commented on, but Grissom indulged her, not stopping her continuous rant. He sat back, soaking up the feeling of Sara leaning into his side, and spent the time watching her instead of the TV. In fact, that might have been the reason he never joined her nitpicking. He just did not watch the movie.

When the credits finally rolled, Sara stretched, rubbing against him. His sharp intake of breath made her freeze.

Grissom reached for her face, slowly turning upward so that he could look into her eyes. What he saw there made him dizzy.

Sara's eyes were dark with passion, boring into his, silently asking him for a sign. His mind took a back seat as his head dipped low to let his lips fall on hers.

He started teasing her with a few light pecks, always drawing back before she could deepen the contact. When she opened her mouth a fraction to let out an annoyed huff, he lunged for her lips again and caught her breath in his mouth, letting it flow down into every pore of his being.

Now she was really floating through his body. Before Sara could separate to draw in some air, he tightened his hold on her and gave her her breath back, laced with his own essence.

Sara did as he had done, taking the breath into her system. Only when they began to feel light-headed did they regretfully pull away. Huge gulps of air were drawn in, but the smile and the cloud of desire in their eyes remained.

From the additional glint in her eyes, Grissom knew she wanted to say something, but he placed his index finger over her lips. His gaze bore into her, pleading with her not to ruin everything with words. He realized it was ironic that the man who usually sprouted big words was pleading for silence.

He knew that once they started talking they wouldn't be able to stop, and the evening was lost.

To support his request he leaned in again, covering her lips with his again, using his fingers to hold her in position. As he deepened the kiss, he could feel any remaining tension flow away from her body.

xxxxx

The smell of coffee woke her.

Without opening her eyes, she tried to stretch her aching limbs, but she was too wrapped up in the blanket to actually move. The tingle of her skin told her that his touch had been real, the deep satisfaction that it had been right, the relaxation that it had been what she needed, and the coffee told her that it was better than any dream could ever be. Grissom was really here.

To keep floating on these heavenly feelings, Sara snuggled deeper into the covers and let her mind drift.

Some time later she was softly brought back to the real world. Lips were wandering up her collarbone, nipping and tasting her flesh.

Sara let an appreciative hum escape her throat, stretching her neck to make it more accessible.

"Good morning, honey," he whispered against her neck, tickling her with his breath.

"Morning," she mumbled, still not willing to rise from beneath the covers.

She wished he would lie down beside her again, but he didn't seem to have the same idea. Grissom tugged on the covers, trying to wrestle them off of her.

To redirect his efforts, she turned her head and sought out his lips, pulling him into the bed to deepen the kiss.

This time, Grissom seemed more willing to follow her siren call.

TBC


	2. Shopping bliss

Growing Up

Part 2: Shopping bliss

By Dany

Summary: A normal life for Grissom and Sara?

A/N: The reviews were really encouraging that some people like the continuation of my Baby series. Thank you. Also thanks to Ace for her help.

Disclaimer: I don't own CSI

Xxxxx

Emerging form the bathroom, Sara toweled her hair as her eyes fell on the long forgotten cup of coffee. It would be cold by now, but she didn't mind. The man in her bed was hot enough.

She couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up at that thought. It was so ridiculous but so true at the same time, and for a brief moment, Sara wondered what the others would say if they were privy to her thoughts.

They wouldn't understand, but they didn't have to. This was what she wanted, and she wanted nothing or no one else. The main thing was that she understood. Grissom was hot…to her, for her.

She laughed again, and this time it was loud enough to wake Grissom. He stretched languidly, cracking one eye open to search for the source of the noise.

She tried to imagine what kind of sight she presented, standing in the doorway only wrapped in a towel, tussled hair and still flushed from the shower…and something else.

Grissom put her mind to rest, "You're so beautiful."

Her breath caught in her throat. She was still not used to hearing Grissom say things like that.

However, it looked like _he_ was getting used to saying it. It seemed to roll off of his tongue easier every time he said it. "It's true," he reassured her, holding out his hand for her.

Sara thought about taking it, about how good it would feel just to spend all of her time here with him, but today it was impossible.

"You've kept me in bed long enough," which was a weird thing to say to Grissom, and she doubted she would ever get used to it.

Grissom lowered his hand back to the sheet, his expectant expression turning into a light frown. 'How much more surreal could this day become,' Sara wondered silently as she shook her head at Grissom to demonstrate her point.

"I can't. As much as I wish I could just stop time to be with you as long as I possibly can, I have to get dressed." As she spoke, she hoped she wasn't being too forward, scaring him with a wish for an infinite future. "It's Greg's birthday tomorrow, and I put off buying a gift for so long that I have to go today."

She wanted to reassure him with a kiss but refrained from it, knowing Greg would be empty-handed tomorrow if she followed the urge because then she wouldn't be going anywhere but Grissom's arms. When had she become so sappy?

Looking at him lounging in her bed, she didn't want to leave him. A strange idea formed in her mind, and before she could stop herself, she had blurted it out, "Would you like to come with me?"

Her mind wandered back to their last outing in a shopping center, smiling at the thought. It had been strenuous but exiting, and if she was honest with herself, the only time she had enjoyed shopping. She seemed to have stumped him with her request, for he lay motionless, staring at her. She bit her lip, uncertain about the whole situation, wondering what her offer was making him feel.

Was she going too fast again?

She looked at him again and then decided that she didn't care. They had made love and what was shopping against that – nothing.

When he didn't answer, she pretended to forget her proposal and just finished getting dressed, even if his non-reaction stung.

She was almost dressed when she finally heard him call her name, "Sara?"

She turned towards him, hoping he had decided to go with her, and the smile on his face and the way he reached for his pants let her know he would not disappoint that hope.

"You don't mind?" he asked as if there was any doubt to her commitment.

"Grissom, if you'd rather be alone to think about everything," which she did not want him to do because she was afraid he would overanalyze and retreat, "then say so, please. I don't mind, and I promised you not to pressure you."

This was his chance to bow out, but he didn't take it. "If you don't mind, I would like to join you," he smiled.

Sara couldn't hide her joy as he expressed his wish to spend more time with her. She went over to him where he sat on the bed, moved in between his thighs, taking his face in her hands, stroking her thumbs over his stubbled cheeks before leaning in to kiss him.

They lingered a while longer before breaking apart, but they both knew they had to. Greg's birthday present was out there waiting to be found.

xxxxx

Sara had checked the Internet for a 'hip' music store which sold some of the more extravagant choices the lab tech blasted through the halls.

On second thought, taking Grissom to buy a new noise pollution for Greg might not have been her best idea. Grissom would probably refuse to buy anything at all.

Sara glanced at Grissom who was walking beside her towards the entrance of the mall, and she realized that it didn't matter if he would be grumpy; he was with her.

As he opened the door, his hand wandered to the small of her back, guiding her through. His hand remained there, making her skin tingle. This just felt right.

They made it through the music store in record time. Sara had narrowed her choices down to three at home, and now she picked the first one she could find to avoid the horde of noisy teenagers that populated the aisles.

Out side, Grissom turned to her, "Are you sure that this is the right present? I mean, those are all kids, and this is for someone in his late twenties."

She looked at him as if he had lost it. "Are we talking about the same guy? Blinding, loud clothes, spiky hair, childish behavior, but an ace in the DNA lab?"

Grissom smiled, realizing she was right. This was Greg.

"Hey, what are _you_ getting him?" Sara asked, knowing he had probably not thought about it.

His clueless expression told her she was right. "Uhm, nothing?"

Her responding look chided him for his thoughtlessness, but she knew he meant no harm. Grissom held her penetrating gaze, and she could feel him give in. "Any ideas?"

"Well, we could buy another CD," she proposed, but Grissom vehemently shook his head.

"I'm not going back in there," he pointed to the store, waving his arms, showing almost panic-like behavior.

Instinctively, Sara grabbed his arms to calm him down, additionally soothing him with her voice, "Okay, then we'll find something else."

She looked around, mentally cataloguing the stores trying to get an idea.

"How will it look?" Grissom grumbled, not ready to give up so easily, but when Sara turned to him with a look of anger on her face, he backed up and answered his own question, "it will show him that I care."

Sara gave him an approving nod. Her anger started to wane, thinking about the present he had given her and how uncomfortable he was about these public outings. She shed her hand from his lower arm to his hand, gripping it tightly to hurry him on, and at the same time give him a sense of security that he was not alone.

They strolled through the mall, looking at various window displays. At a stationery shop, Grissom stopped. Sara didn't see anything special that could have held Grissom's attention, but the smile on his face told her that he had found something.

Without a word of explanation, Grissom pulled her into the store. When the sales clerk came up to them, he asked him for one of the notepads in the window along with some rollerball pens. Then he surprised Sara by picking out a more expensive pen from the display case.

At her questioning gaze, he explained it to her after paying for his purchases, "The notepad and the rollerball pens are for taking notes. That's what Greg was always bugging me about without coming out straight and saying that he wanted to be a CSI. The other pen is for his reports when he _is_ a CSI."

Sara smiled at his very pragmatic reasoning. She knew that Greg would love this gift once Grissom explained it properly. "You will score big time with him."

"Will I also score with you for that?" His question surprised her, and she stopped in her tracks, giving him a pull because of their linked hands.

Now it was his turn again to be confused. He wondered if he had said something wrong. "I didn't mean it like that, I…" he trailed off, realizing too late that his statement could be misconstrued, even if she had started it.

Not willing to let this ship ruin the day, Sara leaned closer to Grissom and whispered into his ear, "You have already _scored_ with me, and you will again, but in terms of getting on my good side, you're right. This will certainly earn my appreciation."

She could see Grissom blush and decided to reward him. Sara leaned up and quickly planted a kiss on Grissom's mouth before pulling away, winking at him. He stood dumbstruck for a moment before he followed Sara through the halls.

As they were nearing the exit, they were suddenly stopped by a familiar sound, "Bugz! Da!"

They didn't even have the chance to determine the direction of the origin before Grissom felt a tug on his pants.

"Amelia," another voice called out, sounding more than slightly unnerved.

Alex Knightley came to a stop right in front of them only seconds after the tug on Grissom's pants. She bent down to pick Amelia up, and when she straightened up with her daughter on her arm, she greeted the two CSIs, "Dr. Grissom, Ms. Sidle. It's so nice to see you again."

She shook their hands, but gave them no chance to greet her back, "No wonder I couldn't hold Amelia. She usually never runs away, but she must have seen you."

Sara and Grissom nodded, still too surprised to react. Amelia was not one for inaction, though, and squirmed in her mother's arms until she was able to lean over to Grissom and grip his shirt.

Sara had to suppress some laughter. Every time they met the little girl, she was trying to get into Grissom's arms. Not that she couldn't understand that.

It was cute, although Grissom always seemed to be a little uncomfortable at first. This time was no exception.

His touch was light at first when Amelia had succeeded in switching arms, but after her first big toothy smile, his arms tightened around her to secure her little body.

Sara decided to give him a little relief and shift the attention away from him. "Mrs. Knightley…"

"Alex, please," the other woman interrupted her.

"Sorry. Alex, it's nice to meet you again. How are you?"

"Fine, we were just looking for some new clothes, for both Amelia and me. How about you?"

Her plan to distract the attention from Grissom failed when Amelia pulled on Grissom's breast pocket. "Bugz?"

She pouted when she found the pockets to be empty. The women burst out laughing at the unusual bonding theme between the child and Grissom.

"I think you will always be the one with the bugs in the shirt now. Which would be even funnier if it weren't true 90 per-cent of the time," Sara commented, still laughing.

"Sorry little bug, but I have none of our friends with me."

The awkwardness seemed to have passed as Grissom was behaving freely with the child once more.

Amelia's mother seemed equally taken with the picture the two presented, so she just watched them interact.

Suddenly an idea struck Sara. Despite their new found closeness, Grissom was still too cautious about being open, but every time they were with the little girl it seemed easier for him, and why shouldn't she make use of that?

So before she could talk herself out of her plan again, she put it in motion. "Alex, uhm, I wonder if you would need someone who could watch Amelia during the day."

Grissom's eyes were wide with shock as he realized what Sara was proposing, but she continued, unimpressed, "Maybe we could baby-sit some time again. I mean, she really seems to like Grissom and uhm, if you're ever in a jam…" she trailed off, not daring to look at Grissom, afraid that he would be angry.

"That's a very kind offer, and I'm sure Amelia would like that, but are you sure?" The woman seemed to be seriously considering Sara's offer. After all, they had already taken care of the girl, and it seemed to have gone well.

"I understand if you are hesitant to leave your daughter with us. I mean, we don't know each other that well." Sara tried to sound surer than she was because she realized that it was not only for Grissom. She wanted to spend more time with Grissom _and_ Amelia. The girl had wound her way into her heart.

"No, that's not it. This is just such a generous offer. First you save my daughter and then take her with you to the park. It's just so much, and we don't want you to feel used."

At that moment, Amelia began to whimper, obviously displeased with the waning attention of the adults.

While the women fell into silence, Grissom turned his attention back to the girl and started bouncing her a bit, promising her there would be bugs the next time. "Assuming you agree Mrs. Knightley. We wouldn't mind watching Amelia again." With these words, Grissom shocked Sara as well as himself.

He wanted to spend more time with the girl, and he had referred to them as 'we'. Sara felt herself floating again, reveling in the knowledge that Grissom was making the effort to be more open about himself and his feelings.

Amelia voiced her displeasure again, but this time she was also rubbing her eyes, showing that she was tired. Grissom put her into her stroller and had to smile when he saw a familiar plush animal.

Alex Knightley must have seen his smile because she commented on her daughter's toy, "It's her new favorite. She takes it everywhere."

Sara blushed, but was pleased at the same time that the little girl loved her birthday present so much.

When Amelia rubbed her eyes once more, Alex Knightley put her bags in order and got ready to leave. "I think we better go now. She needs to get a nap."

They said their good-byes and parted ways.

Grissom and Sara continued to the car in silence. Sara was still shocked at his easy acquiescence, and Grissom was in awe how much that little girl always got to him.

Only at the car did Sara break the silence, "Did you really mean it?"

He turned to her, apparently taking her question very seriously, since his face didn't betray anything. He took his time answering, making her uneasy about his possible answer. "All of it."

A tingle ran down her spine, and her heart was ready to explode. He had sought out her eyes to show her that he meant it, all of it, and he was not just talking about Amelia. He meant everything that happened _since_ Amelia entered their lives.

She couldn't help the bright smile that broke out on her face, which Grissom answered with a shyer version.

For once, they seemed to be where they should be.

TBC


	3. Birthday Ambiguity

Growing Up

Part 3: Birthday ambiguity

By Dany

Summary: The team celebrates Greg's birthday.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and again to Ace.

xxxxx

When he arrived at work later that day, he could hear loud music blasting through the halls. It seemed that Greg was already having a party although this was work and his birthday was technically not until sometime tomorrow.

Greg's present was resting in his briefcase, but there was no way he was going to give it to the young man at the start of the shift or in front of the others. He had decided to sit this thing out until the end of shift. He would call Greg to his office and give it to him then.

For a moment, he had thought of including Sara, but that would be suspicious. The time with Greg alone would also give him the chance to drill some basic understanding into the lab tech that this present was not to be public knowledge. No one needed to know what and to whom he gave out presents. He was the boss, and he had a reputation to lose.

When he passed the DNA lab, he saw Greg trying to get Sara to dance with him. She was shaking her head, trying to give him a death glare, but failing miserably. Her mouth twitched, meaning she was trying hard to suppress a smile.

Grissom felt a twinge of insecurity. Shouldn't she always be enjoying herself like that?

His fears were alleviated when Sara noticed him standing outside. She broke her glare and smiled at Grissom when Greg turned away, rolling her eyes at the same time.

Grissom remembered other smiles like that, and much brighter, that he had received during the day. The twinge was a completely different one now - some kind of elation that she wanted to be with _him_.

He started to smile back, but when Greg turned back in his direction, he scowled at the young man and went around to enter the glass box that was the DNA lab. "Greg, turn that crap off and get back to work. Sara, may I see you in my office?"

On second thought, his request to Sara might not have been such a good idea because he saw Greg raise his eyebrows in question. When he turned to leave, the young man coughed slightly and muttered, "Good luck."

Sara just shrugged and followed Grissom to his office.

"Is something wrong?" she asked after closing the door.

Grissom looked up confused before he realized that his somewhat harsh demeanor must have given her the wrong impression. "Nothing, I just wanted to ask you when you plan on giving Greg his present."

She didn't answer him, trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"Could you postpone that until the last moment possible because I'm afraid my poor ears will suffer severely if Greg goes blasting that stuff through the lab?"

He could see a relieved smile on Sara's face, which soon turned into a teasing glint. "Well, I'll try, but Greg has already been bugging me about what I got for him. And I'm not sure how much longer I can stand his whining."

She feigned ignorance to his pained look and started back to the door. "Sara," Grissom called her back, sounding slightly desperate.

She stopped, but did not turn to face him, letting him stew some more. "Alright, what will it cost me?"

When she turned, she had a huge grin plastered on her face, and Grissom knew he was in trouble.

"Let's see…" She made a 'thinking' face' to tease him some more, although she knew perfectly well what she wanted.

Sweat appeared above his brows as he mapped out the possibilities of this blackmail.

Sara stepped closer to the desk, leaning forward, making him gulp. "I want…dinner. You make it. Tonight." After the first two words, her tone had changed to light and teasing again.

Grissom just sat there, too stunned to do anything but nod.

"Good, I'll wait for you in the parking lot," she whispered conspiratorially before she left the room.

Grissom stared after her at the closed door, wondering how this woman could turn his whole life upside down and why he wasn't more upset about it.

xxxxx

The nightshift had decided to take a break in the middle of work to dish out some birthday cake for Greg.

Sara had tried to get Grissom to attend, but he had declined, blaming paperwork. When he walked in, side by side with Catherine not even ten minutes later, Sara felt a stab of…jealousy?

No, it wasn't exactly that. She knew Grissom didn't look at Catherine romantically and vice versa.

Still, it hurt to think that he was listening to what Catherine said. The woman just had a way of convincing him. What hold did she have over him?

Sara looked up from her musings and met Grissom's eyes. He was scowling, drawing his brows close together, his lips set in a tight line. When their eyes met, his grumbling expression wavered, and Sara could see a glint in his eyes, telling her that he was glad she was there.

At that moment, she realized that Catherine's hold over him was nothing more than a survival instinct, if you want to put it to the extreme.

She probably annoyed him until he gave in before he could do anything stupid. However, a little bit of uneasiness remained, and she vowed that she would ask him about it later.

Grissom took a backseat, obviously determined to only be an observer.

She let him be and helped herself to a piece of cake while Greg started to unwrap his presents. Her present was not in the pile; after all, she needed Grissom in a good mood tonight. A migraine from excess stress wouldn't do. She planned on giving it to Greg only minutes before one of them left work.

It was her lucky day that no one else seemed to have bought a CD for Greg.

When the others continued to talk about their day and of course Greg's birthday, she became bored and wandered over to sit down beside Grissom. "Hey," she wanted to start a conversation, but didn't know what she should say.

She wanted to ask about Catherine, but she postponed it. She didn't know how he would react, and she didn't want to start a possible fight in front of their colleagues. "Hey, yourself."

"Don't you want some cake?"

He had sat in silence, only drinking some coffee. "Too much sugar," was his only answer.

Sara shrugged her shoulders, settling deeper into the seat beside him, "Gets you through the night."

"A quick rush won't sustain you for long."

She got the distinct feeling that they were not talking about the sugar content of the cake anymore, but what he was talking about, she had no clue. He switched topics so fast that it was hard to follow him.

"One rush can easily be exchanged for another," he commented further when she didn't respond.

Sara kept watching him, turning his words over in her mind, trying to make sense of them. His gaze was directed towards the other CSIs, and suddenly, she understood. Her first impulse was to lash out at him, to defend herself, but something in his voice held her back. It was laced with genuine fear.

Normally, she would have told him to leave her alone if he didn't believe that what she felt for him was real and lasting, but she had promised him to be patient.

His thinking had had enough time to develop, so she couldn't expect to convince him otherwise with a few words. It would take time, and for Grissom, she had sworn to be patient.

"Well, like many things, sugar can continue to be the only source of a rush. Even more, if you dose it right, there will be a good feeling without the downs sustaining you for life."

She didn't know if that made sense for him, and she hoped she could convey what she was thinking. She was not as good with ambiguity as Grissom.

There was it again.

After some time for the words to sink in, she could see the corners of his mouth twitching again. "I guess you're right. Maybe I should get some cake. But I have to get back to work. Let's hope the sugar will help me with my paperwork."

Grissom stood and left after getting himself a piece of the sweet treat. Sara soon followed him, wanting to finish the material analysis she had started.

xxxxx

It was about twenty minutes before the end of shift when Grissom called Greg into his office.

The young man actually looked frightened as he entered, keeping close to the door.

For the millionth time, Grissom wondered how he had gotten his reputation, especially with Greg. He was not one to rip heads off, quite the opposite. Amongst the management, he had quite another reputation. He was known to be too lenient with his staff, reluctant to punish them for their misbehavior.

Then there was Greg, looking like he was about to run screaming for the hills. Grissom sighed and concentrated on the here and now. Maybe what he was about to do now would tide things over. "Greg, why don't you sit down?"

The lab tech hesitated for another minute, but then he sat down.

Grissom opened a desk drawer and pulled out Greg's present. "Happy birthday, Greg," he said and put the wrapped box on the desk in front of the other man.

The blank expression on Greg's face and his open mouth told him that this was a shock. It hurt him that the others seemed to think so little of him, although he knew there was no one else to blame but himself.

Slowly, Greg seemed to return to reality. As the shock wore off, he reached for the box and started to unwrap it. Grissom watched him carefully, hoping to read his expression.

At first there was a hint of surprise, but then a small smile appeared as he examined the notepad and the pens. Grissom's confusion grew when he saw some disappointment creep into Greg's eyes. "For taking notes," the young man commented, the dejection becoming more pronounced.

As Greg made to put the box away, he noticed another smaller box inside. He pushed the wrapper away and found himself staring at another encasing. He opened it, and this time there was a genuine smile on his face.

Grissom took that as a good sign and started to explain the gifts like he had with Sara. When he was done, he was pleased with his choice. It was professional, but not overtly so. The explanation made it thoughtful and just so much personal that Grissom didn't feel threatened.

Greg was still staring at the pen, transfixing it with his gaze. Before the young man could get overtly emotional, Sara saved Grissom by knocking on the door.

Greg fumbled to put his things together, tightly clutching the pen while Grissom waved her in.

"I just wanted to know if you're done with Greg, so I can push him around a bit," she joked, feeling the heavy air weighing down on them.

He made a vague gesture with his hand and tried to focus on the paperwork in front of him again. He heard Greg get up but was surprised when he heard him say, "I won't disappoint you," before the door closed behind them.

Grissom looked up startled, but they were already gone. He would have to analyze Greg's words later because for now, he had to finish this stack if he wanted to see Sara later.

After all, she had kept her promise, and now it was time to make good on his.

TBC


	4. Preparation is everything

Growing Up

Part 4: Preparation is everything

Summary: Grissom and Sara prepare for a romantic dinner together.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Jtb, Grissom will come around, don't worry – it might take a while though.

xxxxx

An hour after the official end of shift, Grissom was finally able to emerge from the building, having worked through one stack of paperwork. There was still a smaller one, but that could wait. He wanted to have dinner with Sara.

The question of where to go had been in the back of his mind the whole time, keeping him from making more headway with the files. Now that he had packed up his things and almost reached his car, he still mulled over the question. In fact, he was so concentrated on planning their day that he hadn't noticed Sara leaning against the driver's side of his car.

He bumped into her, only looking up when he had already pinned her against the car. His briefcase was slipping out of his hand, but he didn't notice.

All he could see was Sara's face, her twinkling eyes and her mouth curved up in amusement. "Can I join you where you are?"

He kept looking at her, his confusion evident.

Sara's smile widened. She had rendered the wordy Grissom speechless. It didn't bother her that she didn't receive answer.

Unlike him, she was aware of their surroundings so she saw Grissom's briefcase slip. She took it from him before it could fall. "Maybe I should drive," she teased and held out her hand, wriggling her fingers.

To her surprise, Grissom relented and handed over the keys to his car. He walked over to the other side and waited for her to unlock the doors.

She shook her head but didn't say anything. She loved his oddities, so she let him be. Sara threw the briefcase in the back and hopped in, adjusting the seat and the mirrors to her liking.

At the same time, Grissom relaxed into his seat, closing his eyes. He was making the finishing touches on his plans.

"Where to?"

He didn't open his eyes, but he started smiling. "There is a grocery store three blocks from my home. Think you can find it?"

Never one to pass up a challenge and still a bit puzzled by Grissom's behavior, Sara started the car and drove in the direction of Grissom's home.

xxxxx

Ten minutes later, she pulled into the parking lot of the supermarket, proud of herself at having found it without any directions from Grissom.

When the car ceased its motion, he opened his eyes again. His focused gaze told her that he had not been asleep, which, for some reason, made her uneasy. Maybe it was the fact that she didn't know what he had in store for her today, or maybe it was the fear that if he thought too hard about them, he would pull away. She couldn't help it.

This fear was instinctual, rooted in those years she had to fight for both of them. She had heard his words, had felt his love, but for the doubt to vanish, it would take time.

Seeing is believing; they were scientists after all.

"Come on, let's get some food," it was the first time that Grissom had spoken since leaving the lab.

Sara gave him a smile, hiding her doubts behind it. She got out of the car to follow him. "What are we going to get?"

Grissom turned back to her and waited for her to catch up with him. "We can get anything you want," he offered as he reached for her hand.

"We've eaten together before, also self-made food, and I thought that maybe we could prepare it together this time. If you want, see it as a continuing education program for both of us."

Sara stared at him as if he had grown another head. Their kitchens were too small for such an experiment, and they still lacked a coordinated domesticity. They still felt awkward at times to be in someone else's home. Whenever Grissom tried to help her, everything became a mess.

The first time they had dinner at her place, he had been early - so early that she hadn't been done with her preparations. He had offered to help, and she had been thrilled, at first. Although the thought had seemed inviting, reality was a disaster.

They had kept bumping into each other, and their proximity made her grip on the knives slippery, which almost resulted in blood evidence where it didn't belong – in the food. Grissom was too afraid to open any drawer, any cupboard, without permission, which hindered the flow of movements even more. Later on, she had almost burned the vegetables because she was too distracted by Grissom's muscles playing up and down his forearms as he kept chopping some herbs. With a lot of effort, she was able to salvage their dinner, but it left both of them nervous enough to cook alone after that.

Until now.

Now Grissom obviously wanted to recreate chaos dinner.

At least he wanted to do it at his place. This way she wouldn't have to clean up. "So, basically you want me to help you pay up on your promise?"

His answering grin was boyish, and she couldn't help but reward him with a smile of her own. For show, she sighed, knowing her face had long betrayed her. "All right, but only if you take the responsibility."

Grissom shrugged and strolled ahead to the vegetable section.

To her surprise, they were able to agree on the food right away. They picked out various vegetables to go with rice as well as a salad.

When Sara wanted to head to the register, Grissom just shook his head and pointed to another section of the store. Puzzled, she followed him and found herself in the breakfast section. Sara looked at Grissom, searching his eyes for an answer, but all she saw was hope mixed with a hint of fear.

The pieces fell into place. He wanted her to stay.

With more confidence than she felt, she picked a jar of raspberry jam and a loaf of bread. She held up both items for him to see and was relieved to find him nod.

He had made his offer, but it was unspoken, and that had confused her. She wondered if it was a spur of the moment thing, and he would regret it once they were about to enter his sanctuary, and he realized that he had invited her to stay in _his _home – as opposed to hers.

The two times they had stayed at his place, they had never ventured further than the living room. He hadn't had to let her in deeper.

And now he had invited her in. A jar of raspberry jam and a nod were odd representatives of that.

It was _sweet_.

Sara smiled at him to show him she understood the sacrifice, the step forward they had just made. It was only a smile, but they were not ready for a kiss in full public view yet.

It was illogical, she knew that, since they were grocery shopping together and no one would buy a professional excuse, but everything more than a light touch seemed too personal.

Their first test at domesticity went better than she anticipated. Maybe the second part, the cooking, would not be that bad.

xxxxx

Upon entering his house, Grissom went through his routine, making Sara feel left out. He put his briefcase away, got something to drink and went into the back to change his clothes. Although he had offered Sara something to drink as well, she was hurt that he seemed to ignore her for the most part, so she was even more surprised when he called for her. She pushed the urge to react childish and ignore him as well down and followed his voice.

She found him in his bedroom, sorting through his drawers. When he turned to face her again, he held up a T-shirt and some sweat pants. "They will still be too big, but these are the smallest pair I own."

Sara was staring at him, overwhelmed by his gesture. It felt like they were, or rather, Grissom was, crossing more boundaries today than he had ever before.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to stop by your house so you could get your own clothes." His voice was low, and his head hung, the insecurity pouring off of him again.

How could he go so fast from confident, like in the store, to this?

His emotions had a tight rein on him, throwing him back and forth. Not for the first time Sara wondered if she put him on this rollercoaster ride, or if he was always this emotional and just knew how to hide it to perfection at work. One day, she would have to ask him, but for now, something else seemed more important.

"No problem, I should have thought of it myself." She was silent about the fact that she never would have expected for Grissom to ask her to stay.

He looked at her, the smile returning to his eyes.

"Can I have them now?" she smirked, holding her hands out.

Grissom shook himself out of his immobility and stepped closer to Sara. Before he could hand the clothes over to her, she gripped his shirt and pulled him closer, locking her lips to his.

This should reassure him until she could prove her love for him further.

TBC


	5. Dinner survivor

Growing Up

Part 5: Dinner Survivor

Summary: Dinner finally happens, but the evening has one more surprise for them.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and drakien, I think in this relationship such a solution would be too easy ;)

xxxxx

They survived making dinner without any major mishaps.

Grissom had almost cut himself when he was watching Sara instead of the knife and the carrot, but he was lucky it only grazed the nail. Sara was equally distracted, and if Grissom had not called out to her, she would have touched the pot too low and would have burned her hand. All in all, it went better than their last attempt: no injuries, no burnt food.

However, the accident _did_ happen. The vegetables were slightly salty, true to the theme of being in love, but that was nothing a little wash and a bit of cream could not amend. Together with the rice no one could tell, and for Sara, it had been worth it. When Grissom tasted the vegetables, a small smile of recognition of the age-old myth lit up his face, telling Sara that he felt the same.

Dinner was a quiet affair, both too content to change anything about the comfortable silence. Being together felt too right to risk anything.

They were still basking in the afterglow of a wonderful dinner when the phone rang.

At first, Grissom tried to ignore it, tampering down his irritation, but seeing Sara pull away, switching back to work mode, he sighed and went to get it. "Hello?"

"Dr. Grissom? I hope I didn't wake you."

Grissom recognized the voice of Alex Knightley, and his mood improved. There would be no case ruining their time alone. "No, I was just finishing my breakfast."

With his voice and his purposeful relaxation, he tried to signal Sara that she did not need to worry, but she was refusing to look at him, busy cleaning up the kitchen.

"How may I help you, Mrs. Knightley?" he stressed the name, and this time Sara stopped what she was doing and looked up. Her shoulders dropped as the tension fled her body.

"Were you serious about your offer to watch Amelia again?"

"Yes, of course. Otherwise we wouldn't have offered."

Sara was now curious and stepped closer to Grissom and the phone to listen to the conversation more closely.

She couldn't hear Mrs. Knightley's next words. "I don't know your schedule, but would you be able to watch Amelia on Friday afternoon?"

Grissom mouthed 'Friday?' to Sara, and at her quick nod he answered, "I think that can be arranged."

"That would be a great relief. My husband and I have planned this weekend for months, and my sister was going to take Amelia, but she can't pick her up until late. Our flight is at three and…" the woman kept rambling on, and Grissom had to smile at her nervousness.

"Mrs. Knightley, it's okay. We'll take Amelia until your sister can pick her up."

He could hear her sigh of relief and see Sara's nod of understanding. "Thank you, we would be really grateful. How can we make this up to you?"

"Don't worry about that." Now it was getting a bit uncomfortable for Grissom. Taking gifts or doing favors to benefit from them was not really in his nature. The idea bothered him.

"But…"

"No really, we offered. We want to do it. Don't worry about it."

She tried to argue once more, but Grissom stood firm. They agreed on Grissom picking Amelia up before her parents had to leave for the airport.

Grissom hung up to find Sara staring at him quizzically, waiting for him to fill in the gaps. He led her over to his couch and pulled her down with him. When she was sitting next to him, relaxing back into the cushions, he told her what had been said.

"They'll probably pick her up long before we have to be at work."

Grissom was confused when Sara shook her head, denying his statement. "What?"

"_You _have to be at work, I'm off." She was teasing him, taunting him with the fact that she had the night off.

The wheels in his head were turning, trying to figure out why this sounded strange. Obviously, this was them, Gil Grissom and Sara Sidle. They usually grumbled when they had to stay away from work.

However, things were different now. They still loved their work and liked coming in even if they were scheduled for a night off, but since they were seeing each other, they found a new appreciation for their nights off. Not all of them, but some, even if they were not spent together.

Looking at Sara now, contentedness rolling off of her in waves, he could not begrudge her for looking forward to Friday.

"That's right. I should have known since I made the schedule this week…and last week…and the week before and…"

She shut him up with a kiss.

The smile on her lips made it even sweeter. This was heaven. Never in her life had she dreamt of a scenario like this.

Grissom obviously hadn't either because a whispered 'wow' was everything he got out. The smile on his face was more than enough to make up for the lack of his usual poetic sentiments.

"So…think _we_ can manage 'bug girl' on Friday?"

Although it was meant to be teasing to keep the good mood up, her voice told him that she still didn't trust her own ability to take care of a child. Sure, she had offered to baby-sit, but the fact remained; their exposure to childcare was minimal.

"I think we can. Although we could put her back into a terrarium if we want to take a breather."

Her snicker told him that he had succeeded in reassuring her.

She lifted her arms and wound them around his neck, her eyes meeting his. She let him stare down into her, telling him what she couldn't find the words for. He had seen her fears but hadn't made a big thing of it, only trying to alleviate them to a degree.

The longer he stared into her eyes, the more everything else began to fade.

xxxxx

Time seemed to fly and before they had another chance to talk about it, Friday had come.

They were still at work, finishing their cases of the night, when Grissom remembered that they had better get some sleep in the morning since they wouldn't have the time later that day.

He paged her, hoping that no one else was in reach to read his message: 'Busy day, time to get some rest!'

He expected her to text something back, but the pager remained silent. The page before him seemed to blur. Maybe it was time for him to go. Sara would know how much rest she needed.

He shut the file and stowed it away in his briefcase, just in case he had time to work some more. Suddenly, he was startled when he heard a voice speak to him. "Your place or mine?"

When he looked up, he saw Sara standing in his office, leaning against the closed door with a huge grin on her face.

After a moment to collect himself, he knew how to counter, "Well, since you have already closed the door…", but Sara did not fall for his bluff.

Her grin widened, ending the game with her next words. "I always wanted to say that. And I always wanted _you_ to answer."

"And what would be the right answer?"

She was now standing as close to him as she dared; there were glass walls to this office after all. "There is no wrong answer."

She looked out, waiting until the lab tech that was just walking down the corridor was out of sight. Only then, did she lean in closer so that her voice dropped to a whisper, "Today, your place!"

Sara stepped away, leaving a flustered Grissom behind.

It was not long, though, until he could be seen hurrying towards the exit.

TBC


	6. Honey Bear

Growing Up

Part 6: Honey bear

By Dany

Summary: Grissom and Sara get their first taste of the problems parents are confronted with everyday.

A/N: Thanks to Ace for her valuable help.

xxxxx

Sara looked over her shoulder, watching the young girl cuddling her toy, softly talking to herself. So far she was not crying, which Sara hoped was a good sign.

They had picked her up at home. The Knightleys had already been packed and ready to go, having an equally large, if not larger, bag for their daughter. Grissom and Sara had been surprised by the amount of stuff a child obviously needed.

Once again, her parents left them with a mass of instructions on how to get her to nap, when and what she should eat, and whatever else they needed to know. They stored everything away with a simple nod, hoping that none of the worst-case scenarios that they were warned about would come true.

After a teary goodbye on the parents' side, they were on their way back to Grissom's townhouse.

It was bigger than Sara's place, and although he had more breakables, they were mostly placed high enough to be out of reach for a two-year-old. Plus, he had the bugs, and he had promised Amelia that he would show her some more the next time they were together.

When Sara returned to the present, she saw that Amelia had stopped talking and was now watching her while chewing lightly on her thumb. She noticed that although the girl wanted to keep her eyes open, they kept dropping. If they were lucky, she would fall asleep in the car.

They were not.

When Grissom neared his home, Amelia's head was hanging and her eyelids were almost closed, but Sara could see her still jerking her head up to keep awake.

She leaned over to Grissom, "Drive around the block again."

He looked at her in confusion, but when she nodded her head to the backseat, his eyes cleared, and he drove past his home.

After circling the block twice more, they were sure that Amelia was fast asleep. He parked in the driveway and looked over at Sara. "How should we do this?"

He was in doubt of how to proceed. Should one of them stay with her in the car while the other unloaded everything? Should they get her inside first and then…? The logistics of this seemingly simple task of unloading the car was going over his head.

Sara didn't seem to fare much better. She shrugged her shoulders and followed his gaze back to the sleeping child. "I would say we put her on the couch, but it may be too small, and she might fall off."

Grissom nodded but got out of the car to take a closer look at the stuff in his trunk. "I think this is one of those travel beds. We could drag that in first and get it ready. Then we could leave her alone for a few minutes to get the rest."

It was the best plan they'd had, so Sara got out to help him.

When Grissom was carrying it inside, Sara carefully unbuckled the girl, taking extra care not to wake her, and followed him inside.

She found him struggling with the set-u p of the bed. This scene of domesticity made her heart warm and her mind come up with other images of the same kind; images of Grissom watching another child sleeping in this bed or of her holding another baby. She pushed them back, knowing they were both not ready for that.

She kept holding Amelia, feeling the warmth of the child suffusing her, thus making her more relaxed, while Grissom continued to struggle. A few minutes later, he was done.

When she wanted to place Amelia in the bed, he stopped her and hurried out again. He fetched a bag from his car and pulled a blanket out of it, which he spread on the bed. Amelia would be much more comfortable this way.

"And now?"

"We can get the rest of the stuff."

Sara was already on her way out, when Grissom's words halted her. "Do you really think we should leave her alone?"

He was gazing down into the bed, hesitant to leave her alone, even when it was only for a few minutes.

"You're just trying to weasel your way out of having to unload the car." Although she was trying to make a joke, she was touched by Grissom's tender concern. Another look in his eyes told her he was really worried. Their job made them hypersensitive to the dangers that lurked in everyday situations.

She walked back over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders, massaging them gently. "It's okay. We'll keep the door in sight. She will be fine."

He turned his head, his eyes still showing his doubt, but he nodded slowly.

Sara smiled, thinking of Grissom as a protector who would do everything to keep someone he loved safe.

xxxxx

They were relieved when Amelia slept for almost two hours before a small whimpering announced her return to consciousness.

During her nap, Grissom and Sara had also rested some more, watching a documentary about developments in early childhood. Scientifically, it was interesting and very fitting to the momentary situation, but even that couldn't keep them awake the whole time.

Sara nodded off for twenty minutes while Grissom was resting his eyes for almost an hour. While they were keeping an eye on the sleeping child in the travel bed and on the ones on the screen, they were inching closer on the small couch until she was in his arms and he was resting his head on hers. The whole situation should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn't.

When they heard Amelia whimper, Sara extricated herself from his arms with regret and went over to see if she was really awake.

Two dark eyes were staring at her as she bent over to look in. "Hey there!"

Amelia rolled to her side and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She lifted her hands and smacked her chops.

"Griss, can you get her something to drink?" Sara asked while getting the child out of the little prison, carrying her over to the kitchen area.

"Cold or not so cold?" He help up two packs of the juice the Knightleys had packed for their daughter.

Sara only shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what would be better. Grissom finally decided on the not-so-cold juice, thinking about possible stomach cramps from the cold. They gave her some of the juice and let her eat half of a banana with some crackers.

As detailed as the instructions from Amelia's mother had been, they didn't need to guess what the girl wanted to eat. They were able to relax somewhat.

xxxxx

"Let's get her ready to go to the park." Sara was cleaning up the mess that the girl had made of the rest of the banana while Grissom was trying to clean her at the kitchen sink.

He finally gave up. The girl was squirming too much to get the stains out of her shirt and her pants, but as long as her face and hands were clean, he figured it didn't really matter. "Are you sure that it's safe?"

He was thinking about all of the calls they had responded to which had them investigating a crime scene in a park. Images of bodies, weapons, lye, and even harmless glass shards were floating through his mind.

Sara thought about the truth of his words. These were real problems that real parents had to face every day, and she shuddered, thinking of the possibility that one day they might concern her with her own child, not that she didn't take things seriously with Amelia.

Maybe it was just worse because they were CSIs and knew the dangers all too well. "I think she will be as safe as it gets."

They had to believe that to venture outside.

Sara truly believed that Grissom would not let anything happen to Amelia. He would not leave her out of his sight for a second.

He was so protective, and although she had rebelled against the same trait from time to time, she reveled in it at the same time. It was not easy to get him enraged, but if he was, god help the person on the receiving end. Grissom was always overlooked as a potential threat because of his quiet nature and geekiness, but she knew that there lay a hidden strength behind this façade.

Grissom was a big man, strong by physical appearance, who knew what he was hiding.

He may look like a big fluffy teddy bear, but get him mad, and he'll show you his teeth and his paws.

She had never thought of him outside of the insect realm, comparing him to his bugs, but now she wondered what else she had missed.

When Grissom bent to pick Amelia and her bag up, he brought her back to reality. "Honey, could you lock the door? The keys are on the sideboard."

Sara did not move, the words making no sense to her. 'Honey?'

Grissom turned at the door, wondering why Sara was not following, and found her grinning from ear to ear. "Sara, is everything alright?"

She shook herself from her trance, picked up the keys, and when she reached him, she whispered, "Bear," into his ear.

Before he could react, other than show total confusion on his face, she had shoved him out and locked the door.

"Bear!" Amelia called, clapping her hands, echoing Sara again.

Grissom growled, and Sara started giggling.

Bear, indeed.

TBC

Please let me know what you think.


	7. Sliding

Growing Up

Part 7: Sliding

Summary: The day is spend at the park to keep Amelia busy.

A/N: Thanks for all the support. I have to apologize for a mistake I made at the beginning of the story. I wrote that it's a sequel to _Baby bug_, which is not completely wrong, but actually it is the immediate sequel to _Child's play_, which follows the Baby series. I'm sorry. So if you haven't read it yet, I hope you will.

xxxxx

The ride to the park was spent mostly in silence. Grissom was still wondering what Sara's humor had been all about.

Her occasional giggles made him uncomfortable, as well as Amelia's calls and giggles. She was obviously trying to imitate Sara, which normally would have been very cute but was now only annoying. He felt like they had a secret that they were keeping from him – a secret about _him_.

What was unnerving him even more was that whenever he let his control slip and scowled at Sara's behavior, she would start a new fit of giggles. What was so damn funny? His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter, making his knuckles stand out white. Her strange behavior was rapidly pushing him to the edge.

When a growl escaped him, even Amelia giggled, making Sara's laughter worse. "Bear, bear!"

If he hadn't been the one driving, he would have whipped his head around, but he had enough self-control left to keep his eyes on the road.

"Sara," he tried to plead with her to get things under control again, but it fell on deaf ears. She kept laughing, and Amelia laughed with her.

Grissom was relieved when they pulled up to the park and he was able to get some distance between them, if only for a short while. He left the car and went around to the back to get the stroller ready – and regain control.

Sara took the time to take some deep breaths and cool off. She hoped she hadn't really angered him. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel uncomfortable enough to retreat. "Hey, little bug."

She unbuckled and leaned over to the backseat. "I think we shouldn't have laughed that much, but you understand, right?"

She knew it was impossible that the little girl had really understood her, but just sharing her thoughts made her feel lighter.

"Bear," Amelia crowed, twisting in her seat to see Grissom, who was now right behind the car. "Bugz?"

Sara couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face again. "Yeah, he is a bear that loves bugs and 'honey.'"

To get Amelia out, she had to leave the car and face Grissom without laughing again. "No more laughing about the big bear, little bug, or he will leave us here to walk back." From her tone of voice Amelia took her cue and quieted down.

With another deep breath, Sara had finally exited the car and opened the back door, freeing Amelia from her car seat. When she was about to set her down, she saw Grissom come up with the stroller. "Should we let her run at first? Tire herself out?"

He nodded but motioned for her to carry the girl. "The street is still too close. We can put her down when we are a bit further into the park."

Sara walked ahead with Grissom following, pushing the stroller with the backpack instead of the child. When they were sure she could not dart back onto the street or into some bushes, Sara set her down.

On their way to the playground, the girl wanted to be picked up at least three times, her little legs tiring quickly, only to want to run around after a minute again. Grissom indulged her, handing the stroller over to Sara. They had brought some toys to play in the sand, hoping to find a spot they deemed safe. Amelia had other plans, though.

As soon as she had seen the climbing frame, she ran over to it. She was too small to reach anything, and her steps were not really firm enough, but she didn't seem to care.

Grissom was right behind her, hoping to steer her away from the dangerous looking structure. When he took her little hand to lead her away, her other hand gripped the rail and held on tight. Her big brown eyes staring up at him melted his resistance, and Grissom took a closer look at the structure, trying to figure out a way for a small girl with a strong will to get through it safely. Thinking he had found one, he glanced at Sara, telling her wordlessly what he had in mind.

She nodded, and Grissom held out his other hand for the child to hold on to. Amelia made a step towards the small stairs, tugging at Grissom's hand.

He nodded and smiled. "Come here and give me your hand."

She looked at him once more as if she was deciding on what to do but then reached out for the offered hand.

The first couple of steps were fairly easy, but then Grissom ran into a problem that had Sara fighting to suppress her laughter. She was watching from the path how Grissom tried to fold himself together to get through a smaller opening to the slide on the other end while at the same time trying to keep his hold on Amelia.

He finally made it to his knees, still holding the girl with one hand. He knew he must have looked ridiculous and wondered why he hadn't let Sara go with her. Probably because he hadn't thought about it, only worrying about the child.

They finally made it over to the slide where he struggled to move around until Amelia was sitting on his lap and he was able to slide down without hitting his head on the small opening.

As they made their way down, Sara couldn't believe what she was seeing. Gil Grissom, forensic entomologist and hermit, was on a playground climbing and sliding with a two-year-old girl. It was an amazing sight that warmed her heart and would not be likely to ever forget. And he had doubts about his parenting abilities? If one of them had to worry, it was her. She still felt totally inept with the girl sometimes. She heard a squeal and focused on the slide just in time to see them land at the bottom.

The next time Amelia shook her head when Grissom wanted to help her up the stairs. He held her back, and she shook her head more vigorously. "No, no, no."

He looked at Sara, hoping for help, but she only shrugged her shoulders.

Amelia twisted and freed herself on her hands and feet: hands on the second step, feet on the ground.

His first impulse was to grab her and put her upright again, but then he decided to let her try on her own and to stay close behind her.

With her awkward technique, she _did_ get to the top, and Grissom had to hurry to keep her from sliding down alone. This was still too dangerous, regardless of her stair-success.

They repeated the process another two times until Amelia was bored and made her way over to Sara.

"Tink!" She held out her little hands, looking at Sara pleadingly.

"What?" Grissom was right behind her, but the word made absolutly no sense to him.

"Applshus."

Sara laughed, finally understanding what the girl was trying to say. She rummaged in the backpack and found a baby cup filled with what looked like thinned apple juice. "Sit down."

They were walking around a bit further with Amelia sitting happily in her stroller, trying to find a clean spot to let her play on the ground.

xxxxx

They had finally found a spot a bit off to the side, away from the screams of a horde of children that had invaded the playground only seconds after they had left with Amelia.

Grissom had spread the blanket while Sara had taken care of the little girl. Once they were seated and Amelia was playing by herself, Grissom approached the topic that had been weighing on his mind. "So…will you tell me what was so funny?"

Her eyes went from showing confusion to renewed mirth. "Oh that…"

"Yeah, that." He couldn't resist and had to smile back.

"It's just…sometimes you get so…protective, fierce, overwhelmingly passionate."

His eyebrows rose as she attributed these characteristics to him. Were they talking about the same person?

"Your shoulders will straighten, making you even bigger, and other men cower in fear. That growl and that scowl…"

There it was again, that scowl, because Grissom didn't know how to react.

"That's a good thing, believe me. And then you go and call me 'honey' and I just…" She swallowed a giggle before she was able to continue, "You remind me of a bear."

The scowl vanished, and he started to blush a bit. Sara was complimenting him in her very own way.

"So, I'm a bear, and you are my honey?"

At her nod, he smiled, happiness flowing through him even though it seemed absurd to make such a comparison.

"I like that. I think I could live on honey alone. Let me get a taste."

Their lips touched, and Grissom felt another barrier fall, letting Sara in further. This was how it was supposed to be, improvement and closeness in their relationship.

When they separated after a seemingly endless moment, they felt incredibly comfortable with each other and each of them drifted off into their own thoughts.

xxxxx

Amelia was playing with her toys, pushing a car back and forth on the ground, taking no notice of the adults, when she suddenly went still, her eyes widening with awe.

For several moments, she sat completely motionless, drawing Sara's attention to her. She gave Grissom, who had been staring at the sky, watching the clouds pass by, a light push to make him look down. Together they watched her until she moved on her own.

She twisted at her waist, looking at Grissom, one arm staying on the ground.

"Bug!" she exclaimed, turning back to watch a spot right in front of her.

He leaned over and smiled when he saw her watching a ladybug. Sara did the same, her head so close that he could feel her breath tickling on his neck.

He was about to launch into a lengthy lecture about the characteristics of said bug when he saw the bemused smile playing around her lips as she anticipated his reaction. It was time to surprise her again, so he simply settled on the bare facts. "It's a ladybug, Amelia."

Carefully, he took the girl's hand and held it in a way that the bug had to crawl over her finger to get higher up. She giggled when it wandered over her tiny finger before it reached the top and flew off. Her wide eyes followed the ladybug until it wasn't visible anymore.

When Grissom looked over at Sara, he saw a happy smile on her face, making her irresistible. He leaned over and kissed her.

TBC


	8. End of the rope

Growing Up

Part 8: End of the rope

Summary: When it's time for Grissom to return to work, everything seems to go wrong.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. _MyBella131_, I don't know when the others will find out yet, but I think it won't be that long. As for a baby of their own, let them be a bit more secure in their relationship first.

xxxxx

They entered Grissom's town house hours later, feeling oddly refreshed. Normally they should have been dead tired, but the time had been well spent and had recharged their energy.

Amelia had played by herself for quite a while, giving them the chance to relax. She had demanded their attention, but they gave it to her willingly, enjoying being far away from their usual life. Amelia, on the other hand, seemed a bit tired. She had been quiet on the way home, cuddling the chipmunk. Sara had carried the girl in and sat down on the couch.

"I think we should make dinner before she falls asleep." She looked down at the child resting on her chest and felt a wave of affection.

"Her mother gave me a list of what she can't eat." He searched for a slip of paper in one of the other bags and read over it when he found it. "I think I can make something that we all can eat."

He busied himself with the preparations while Sara took a children's book and started to read to Amelia. The girl pointed to the pictures when she could link a word to the image. It kept her from falling asleep until Grissom had the food ready.

They decided to eat at the couch table since Grissom lacked a high chair. Amelia was kneeling or standing at the table, munching on some potatoes with carrots. For Sara and himself, he had added a salad to round the meal up.

Dinner was definitely a messy affair because Amelia mostly insisted on feeding herself, only letting the adults hold the spoon from time to time. By the end, she was covered in mashed potatoes and carrots. How much, they only realized when she stepped away from the table.

"I guess we should bathe her before her aunt arrives."

Grissom looked away, slightly uncomfortable. The thought of bathing her scared him. Although he had already changed her and fed her, played with her and got her to sleep, it felt strange. There were so many things that he didn't know how to do.

Additionally, the thought of Sara taking a bath in _his_ bathroom made him uncomfortable on a whole other level. "Ehm, I think I will clean up here."

Sara in his bathtub…he turned away from her and busied himself with the dishes.

"I take everything back. You're not a bear; you're a cat, a scaredy-cat," she teased, taking Amelia by the hand to lead her to the bathroom.

It was actually more fun than she had thought, even though she ended up wet. Granted, it was partly her own fault.

When Amelia started splashing, Sara's competitive spirit broke through, and she splashed back. The only downside was that the whole bathroom was threatening to swim away. She would have to clean that up before Grissom saw it and had a heart attack.

She dried Amelia, redressed her, and brought her out to Grissom.

"I leaned in too far. Do you mind if I shower real quick?"

Before he had the chance to respond, Sara was already gone. She had seen him get a mop out of a closet in the hall when she was heading to the bathroom the first time today, and now she retrieved it. The water was mopped up quickly, and the mop was placed back in the closet.

She used the chance to take a shower and relax further under the warm spray.

xxxxx

Grissom was playing with Amelia when Sara emerged from the bathroom. His breath caught in his throat upon registering her appearance.

There, in the entrance of his living room, stood Sara Sidle wearing nothing but a towel. His lower jaw dropped and all motion ceased. Sara Sidle, in a towel, in his home.

Suddenly he wished they were not saddled with baby-sitting.

She put on her shy look, knowing it would drive Grissom crazy. "I seem to have forgotten to pack a set of spare clothes, _again_."

He probably saw right through her, but she didn't care. She wanted to wear his clothes again. She wanted to feel him, have his smell surrounding her again. She wanted to be as close as possible to him with their little guest still present.

Grissom was just about to get up when the phone rang.

He looked at her apologetically and motioned for his bedroom. "Your things are still on the dresser."

He picked up the phone as Sara went to find 'her' clothes. She could hear his muffled voice and couldn't really tell what it was about, but it didn't sound good. Dressing as fast as she could, she almost stumbled trying to pull the shorts up, but she only caught the end of the conversation as she exited the bedroom again.

"Alright. Yes. I'll be there in thirty minutes." And then Grissom hung up.

Judging by the look on his face, it really was nothing good.

"Sara…"

"Bugs?"

His eyes were cast down when he nodded. Somehow she had expected this call to come, but it was still a disappointment when it became reality. She was disappointed, but not angry.

They loved their job, and they needed to go help if a call came.

"Don't worry. It's not like I can't understand your dedication." She smiled, hoping he would lift his head so he could see it.

He let her wait for it a few more seconds before really looking up. "Will you be alright?"

For the first time, she realized that she would be alone with Amelia, a two-year-old child.

Her breathing sped up as fear set in. She looked back at Grissom and saw his confusion at her reaction. That he did not seem to have any qualms to leave her alone with Amelia settled her nerves somewhat, and the rest was swallowed down.

She put on a more relaxed expression, not wanting to worry him any further. "Yeah, sure, why not."

Whatever he saw in her eyes was enough, and he began gathering up his things.

xxxxx

Grissom was gone for an hour when it all started. Sara could see that Amelia was getting tired, rubbing her eyes and twirling strands of hair around her fingers. She was getting less active, and she was getting cranky, very cranky. Sara searched for something Amelia could wear if she put her down, finding pajamas and a toothbrush. Changing her and brushing her little teeth went with little fight, but when it came to putting her down, everything went downhill.

Amelia had started to cry, calling for her parents. Sara had tried to stay calm, patiently rocking the child, softly talking to her, but nothing seemed to help.

Half an hour later, she was almost at the end her rope when the phone rang. Hoping it was the girl's parents or at least Grissom, she put Amelia in the travel bed and moved to the next room. It would be impossible to hear anything above Amelia's cries.

When she emerged from Grissom's bedroom again, she was nearing desperation. Amelia was still crying, albeit not as loud as before, and the news she had received could not be much worse.

As soon as the girl saw her, her crying strengthened again and she held out her arms. At that moment the full reality of the situation hit her, and she started to panic. She couldn't do this.

Her fingers flew over the buttons of the phone, and when she heard the click on the other end, she started talking, "Grissom, you've got to help me. I can't do this. Please come home."

TBC


	9. Night time

Growing Up

Part 9: Night time

Summary: Sara is experiencing a crisis.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews. Good to know I'm still touching base with reality. ;)

xxxxx

Grissom had been on his way back to the lab when his phone rang. He cursed, thinking it was already a new case or Ecklie trying to get him to speed things up.

When he saw the number on the display, he frowned, and then he remembered. It was Sara.

Amelia had probably been picked up, and she wanted to head to her apartment.

He took the call, a 'hello, honey' on his lips, but he never got a chance to speak.

"Grissom, you've got to help me."

He sat up straighter, his brain going into overdrive, making him pull over.

"I can't do this."

He tried to get a word in to ask what was wrong, but he couldn't. Various horror scenarios played out in his head: Sara hurt, robbed, assaulted, or Amelia hurt.

"Please come home."

It broke his heart to hear her like that. She sounded so scared.

"I don't know what to do."

Finally she stopped talking long enough for him to cut in, "Sara, stop."

He could hear her rapid breathing, and in the background he could make out that Amelia was crying.

"Take a deep breath. You need to tell me what happened." His voice was calm, although he was close to panicking as well.

It wouldn't help them at all if he increased Sara's distress by losing it.

"Sara, I don't care if you can't tell me exactly what happened on the phone, but tell me you are physically okay, that you were not attacked or something. Otherwise I can't drive without wrapping myself around a tree."

There was more silence on the other end.

Just as he was about to drive anyway, Sara spoke up. "She won't stop crying."

Again his mind supplied images he really didn't want to see.

"But I think she's not hurt or sick. She just won't stop."

He was under the impression that she was calmer now, but still frightened. Grissom looked at the passenger seat where two brown bags with evidence were resting and made a decision. "Stay calm, I'll be there in twenty. I have to hand over some evidence, but then I'll come home."

He started the car back up and was about to hang up when something else popped into his mind.

"Sara?"

"Yeah?"

"You _can_ do it." And then he hung up, hoping he was right.

xxxxx

He reached the lab in record time, hurrying through the halls to find someone who could do his timeline until he was back. He already had a certain someone in mind.

"Greg, good."

The younger man lifted his head from his microscope, looking more confident than he ever had in Grissom's presence. Ever since his birthday, he had worked harder and longer to prove that Grissom's trust was not misplaced.

"I need you to run a timeline for me."

When Greg was about to object, Grissom held up a hand to silence him. "I know you can do it. You've seen it often enough, and you can get Warrick to help you if you want."

He pushed the paper bags into Greg's arms; he looked still doubtful about the task. "You're not going to be here?"

"Family emergency. I have to leave. Greg, you can do it. You took so many notes that it really should be no problem. Warrick is not as good as you at entomological timelines, but if you have a question, just call him."

Greg nodded, his eyes shining with the desire to show Grissom he was worth it.

"Put that new notebook to work." With that Grissom hurried out of the lab again, his thoughts focusing on Sara.

xxxxx

On the outside, everything seemed quiet. No broken door or windows.

Grissom let some of the pressure flow from his lungs. Sara would not have been so careless to open the door to someone she did not deem safe.

When he neared the door, he could hear crying. Amelia was still going at it. What had happened? The thought of a desperate Sara propelled him forward.

Chaos greeted him when he stepped into his living room. Sara was rocking the crying child, softly talking to her. Actually, it was more like a plea to go to sleep, which seemed to fall on deaf ears. There was a cluster of things on the small couch table, making it look like a miniature battlefield. Obviously, Sara had tried to pacify her with everything she could think of: crackers, some fruits, juice, tea, toys, books, his classical CDs, even some of his showcase bugs.

He saw Sara glimpse at her watch and then at the door. It was in that moment that she saw him. Her movement stopped, increasing the volume of the cries. She shot him a few dark looks before grinding something out from between her clenched teeth. "Twenty minutes. You said twenty minutes."

He knew it was only a defense mechanism to lash out, but he involuntary took a step back. He wanted to say something, but that would be a mistake. She rushed over to him and thrust Amelia into his arms.

The reprieve when she quieted down was only short lived. As soon as she realized that it was again not who she wanted, she started wailing again.

Sara threw her hands up in desperation, but the knowledge that Grissom was not having much luck either lessened her feeling of incompetence. When she able to think again, she remembered the reason for her panic.

"Grissom!"

He was rocking Amelia, trying to calm her down, but looked up when she spoke. "Amelia's aunt called."

"When is she coming to pick her up?"

"Monday!"

His eyes went wide, and his mouth dropped. "What!"

He stood still like a statue, staring at her, waiting for an explanation.

"She had an accident, fell and broke her leg."

As if that explained everything, Sara stopped.

"And? What about her parents?" His voice was suddenly not so calm anymore, matching the panic that was rising within him.

"She can't reach them. Phone's dead. And there is no one else available."

Her words left him stunned as the realization of what it meant settled in.

"They don't know us. For a few hours yes, but the whole weekend? We don't know what to do."

Sara started pacing, rambling on. "She has only broken her leg. It's not like she has a contagious disease."

She knew it was ridiculous, but she wanted to rationalize it away.

Grissom, on the other hand, was still not moving while his mind tried to catch up and formulate a plan. He felt the beginning of a headache from Amelia's never-ending cries and decided to make this priority, even if he didn't know what to do. What could get her to sleep that Sara hadn't already tried?

"Sara, have you tried driving around?"

She kept pacing, as if she hadn't hear him, but then the words made it to her brain, and she looked at Grissom. "Driving?"

"Well, it worked this afternoon."

She shook her head, daring to hope that the crying would finally stop. Without another word he took his keys, Amelia's blanket, and the chipmunk and went to his car. She was still crying when they buckled her in. They drove and drove, hoping she would think that they would take her home. It was a dirty trick, but right now, they were out of other options. The driving helped reduce the tears, but could not stop them altogether.

Finally, after forty minutes, they were sure that Amelia was asleep. She had cried herself to sleep.

Grissom stopped the car in his driveway and turned to Sara, ready to discuss what had happened. To his surprise, her eyes were closed and her head hung to the side. The fight with Amelia must have completely exhausted her.

He debated what to do now, but decided against waking her. This tired she would be cranky and irrational like the child in the back seat.

He had to smile at this thought and glanced back towards the sleeping child. Maybe he could get both in without waking them.

At first, he picked up Amelia, locking the car and carrying her inside. He was not going to take any chance, leaving a sleeping woman inside an unlocked car in the middle of the night, even if he was sure she knew how to defend herself.

He lay Amelia on his bed before going back to get the travel bed. He placed it in front of the bed because he did not want her to wake up alone in unfamiliar surroundings. After he had put her in her bed, he went out to get Sara.

She was not as heavy as he had thought, but heavy enough to consider starting working out. She snuggled into his chest, making him stand still, hoping she would remain asleep.

When he was about to place her on his bed and extricate himself from her grip on his shirt, she wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him closer. He tumbled onto the bed and found himself in her embrace. "Hmmm, bear."

She placed a kiss on his neck, and he looked down. He did not think she was awake, and when he let his fingers weave through her hair, her only reaction was to snuggle even closer. She was definitely asleep.

All thought of returning to work fled him as he let sleep pull him down.

TBC


	10. Disturbed Sleep

Growing Up

Part 10: Disturbed Sleep

Summary: Grissom and Sara have to deal with a late night crisis caused by Catherine.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews that keep me thinking about the story. I'll get to all matters in time.

xxxxx

The shrill ringing of his phone woke Grissom, and to his great dismay, not only him.

He could hear Amelia whimper again and cursed, hurrying to pick up the phone. Maybe she would go back to sleep. Sara was stirring as well, opening her eyes to small slits.

"Grissom," he barked into the phone, making Amelia whimper some more at the sharp tone in his voice.

"Gil, where are you?"

It was Catherine, and she sounded really worried. He took a few seconds to collect himself and leave the bedroom.

Even though the girl should not be able to hear him anymore, Grissom lowered his voice. "Didn't Greg tell you? There was an emergency."

That's why I'm worried," contrary to Grissom's voice, Catherine's volume was increasing. "What happened?"

He cursed inwardly again. Catherine was far too persistent to back off. Should he lie or give her a very abbreviated version of events? He doubted she would be satisfied with that.

"My mother called." He hoped the lie would get him out of the conversation faster. "She broke her leg."

That was probably the lamest excuse ever, but to his great relief, Catherine seemed to buy it. "Are you flying out?"

Suddenly, Grissom realized that this was the solution to their problem. It terrified him to think of being alone with the girl while Sara had to go to work the next night, but what else could they do until they reached the parents?

"Yes, I'm already on my way out."

"What about the bugs?"

He sighed. Why couldn't she just leave it alone?

"Greg can handle that, and Warrick can always help him. Cath, I really have to go."

"When will you be back?"

This was a lost cause.

"Monday at the latest. I've got to hurry." Then he hung up, not giving Catherine the chance to respond.

He stared at the phone, hoping that Catherine would not question his behavior further or try calling him again. She was a good friend, but sometimes far too intrusive.

When he heard sniffling behind him, he turned around and saw Sara holding Amelia. Tears were streaming down her face, and she hiccuped, but at least she was not fully crying.

A quick look at his watch told him that it was only a little after three. Half of the night was still ahead of them. "Everything okay?"

He looked at Sara and saw worry and fear.

She didn't want to be left alone with the child, afraid of not being capable of taking care of her.

"Catherine, but I told her my mother broke her leg."

He lowered his head, unable to look into Sara's eyes. He had lied to a friend; what would she think?

"Why?"

"I…I…" He moved closer until he was able to touch her, lifting his palm to cradle her face. "I didn't want to leave you alone. You…"

Saying that she was scared, even though it was the truth, would only upset her. He had backed himself into a corner.

He wanted to withdraw his hand and steel himself for her anger, but Sara surprised him. "Thank you!"

The bright smile she gave him made him forget about his bad conscience. He returned it before he was reminded of the other person in the room by another hiccup.

"And what should we do about her? She should be in bed."

"Drop her off at Catherine's. She woke her," Grissom tried to lighten the mood, wanting to take her fear away.

If this got out of hand, Sara would feel incompetent and overwhelmed again, and that was probably more stress than she could handle tonight.

"Ha, I would like to see that."

"Why don't we change her diaper, give her something to drink, and try to put her down again."

When he saw the look of apprehension on Sara's face, he hastened to reassure her, "She's dead tired. It will work."

Amelia did not quite agree with Grissom.

As soon as they tried to put her down, she started to cry again. She twisted and turned around, getting to her feet, trying to get out of bed.

"Grissom, please?" Sara was not sure what she was asking for, but this was starting to wear her down quickly.

He sighed and picked Amelia up, cradling her in his arms. "Sara, have you tried singing to her?"

Her eyes turned dark, like a storm was brewing in them, but then they cleared and she slowly shook her head.

"I would, but I'm afraid I would keep her awake, not help her fall asleep."

He made to hand her the fussing child, but she shied away. "Sara."

She shook her head, but he brought Amelia closer to her again. "The vibrations of your chest will help her relax."

With another apprehensive look, she gave in and held out her arms.

Slowly, she began walking around, softly rocking the child in her arms.

_Sleep, baby, sleep  
Your father tends the sheep  
Your mother shakes the dreamland tree  
And from it fall sweet dreams for thee  
Sleep, baby, sleep  
Sleep, baby, sleep  
_

Grissom watched in awe how gentle she was the moment the child was placed in her arms. Only seconds before, there had been exhaustion, impatience, and anger in her eyes, and now she appeared to be totally calm. This was his Sara, her emotions so strong and her inner self gentle beyond measure.

It was not long before Amelia, completely exhausted herself, quieted down and finally fell asleep.

Sara continued to sing though, afraid the little girl would wake up again if she stopped too soon.

As disheveled and worn out as she looked, it was still one of the most beautiful sights Grissom had ever seen.

Her confidence was returning slowly, and with every passing minute, she became more relaxed. Her voice was bright and clear, making him wish that he could hear her sing more often. He would have to ask her about it.

When she stopped, he felt regret at the sudden silence. What had been some sort of normal before, seemed now only threatening. All because Sara was different. She was making things different.

He wanted to hear her every day…and suddenly he cringed. This was one thing that had always made him keep his distance.

Now that he saw Sara standing here in his bedroom, bending over the small travel bed, singing a few tunes again to get her settled, he strained to take everything in. He soaked up her voice and memorized the feelings it evoked. Even if he had battled this demon for now, he never wanted to forget this moment.

Sara straightened, letting a breath of relief escape her, and then walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head on his shoulder. At the moment, she needed somebody else's strength to make her feel safe and relaxed.

Would it really change her perception of him if she knew? She had bared herself, which let the scale tip against her and in his favor.

He looked down, trying to catch a glimpse of her face. Her eyes were closed, but she held on tight. She was not yet asleep but far from being able to have a conversation with serious content.

Now that he had seen her so open and had seen exactly what he wanted in life, he was ready to talk to her, even if it scared him. Sara was worth it.

He could only hope that once they talked, she would not think less of him.

Not really breaking the connection between them, he led her over to the bed and made her crawl in. "I have to get out of these clothes. Be right back!"

This time, he would not let her pull him in fully clothed. It was uncomfortable and had an unclean feel about it.

He hurried to the bathroom and redressed in a pair of boxers and a shirt before padding back into the bedroom.

Sara was fighting to keep her eyes open, waiting for him. His mind made the connection and brought up the image of Amelia doing the same not long ago.

The urge to experience something like that – the good and the bad – in a different setting was pushed down for now. First, he had to talk to Sara.

He slid under the covers, joining her and taking her into his arms.

"Did you shut off the ringers?" Sara mumbled into his shoulder.

When he nodded, she closed her eyes and snuggled closer.

TBC


	11. Seeking Solutions

Growing Up

Part 11: Seeking Solutions

Summary: A new day brings new revelations and new situations.

A/N: The updates probably will be further apart from now on, because there is some important stuff coming up. _jtbwriter_, I hope this helps you get over the number thing.

xxxxx

When Sara woke up this time, it was much quieter - no one jumping hastily out of the bed and no baby whimpering or crying.

Trying to stretch a bit, she felt Grissom's body still beside her, radiating warmth. She felt rested although she didn't know how much time had elapsed between Catherine's call and now.

She cracked an eye open just to see if Amelia was still in her bed. She was, but the girl was standing with a thumb in her mouth, looking straight at her. At that moment, she wished she had just kept her eyes shut. Maybe now that Amelia knew someone was awake, she would start to fuss.

That would certainly ruin the moment.

When Amelia did not move, Sara allowed herself the luxury to close her eyes again and let the warmth surrounding her flow through her body.

One moment from dropping back off to sleep, she heard a creak and some rustling. Then she felt a slight dip of the bed, which made her return fully to consciousness, but she couldn't process the facts fast enough before the weight shifted and got closer. Sara did not dare to open her eyes.

Suddenly, she felt a tiny hand touch her cheek from behind.

Amelia had really gotten out of the travel bed.

Sara opened her eyes and turned her head, staring at the little girl sitting behind her. She was sucking her thumb while patting Sara's face with the other hand.

"Oh, so now you are in a better mood," she whispered and turned around fully to face the child.

Now she could also catch a glimpse of Grissom's alarm clock, and she saw that it was seven thirty. "You are an early riser, huh?"

Of course the girl didn't answer, but she gave Sara a smile right around her thumb.

"While we are on friendly terms, I've got to tell you something."

When Grissom moaned and sought out her form in the bed, pulling her back into his arms, Sara felt foolish talking to the girl. What if Grissom heard her like that, what would he think?

However, one glance over her shoulder told her that he was still asleep.

"Little bug, I know you miss your mommy and daddy, but they can't be here right now. I'm sure that if they could, if they knew, they would come and pick you up, but they can't."

Sara couldn't tell if the sad face Amelia made was because she had understood what she had been trying to say, or if it was just because of her serious tone of voice.

"And if you really have to stay here for a while, you cannot put up that much fuss every time you have to go to bed."

For a few seconds, Amelia did nothing. Sara had known she wouldn't get a real reply, but the absolute non-reaction scared her. If only she would move.

"Da!" Amelia reached forward and patted Sara's face again, but then she looked past her.

Sara wanted to bury her face in the pillows as she realized whom this gaze was directed at. Grissom was awake.

How much had he heard?

She felt his beard prickle at her neck, and then he was planting small kisses on the same spot.

"What is she doing in our bed?" he mumbled, his face still burrowed in the crook of her neck.

"Ask her! I think she climbed out."

He smiled against her, making her shiver. "Grissom, could you stop that?"

"Why?"

Sara rolled her eyes, wondering if he was really that blind or if he was evil enough to torture her like this. It was probably a mix of both, his unconscious awareness battling with his conscious ignorance.

"Because we have an audience – a very young one at that."

She felt him look up and smile. He gave her one last kiss on the neck, making her moan, and then he pulled away.

She missed his warmth immediately, but it was better that way. "I guess we should get up and make her something to eat." Grissom threw the covers off and got out of bed. "And I think we should try to reach her parents again and maybe we can talk to her aunt, ask her what we are supposed to do."

Her mind seemed clearer now that the panic had lessened to a manageable level. "In that order?"

Sara nodded, sitting up and pulling Amelia with her. "I'll take her to the bathroom with me."

Relief was visible on Grissom's face as he vanished into the bathroom first to be able to make breakfast when Sara and Amelia were dressing. This division of duties didn't bother her. If Grissom was uncomfortable with Amelia in the bathroom, she wouldn't force him.

After their first encounter at the wildlife park, she had not felt quite so helpless. It was not her element, but she was getting accustomed to it.

She had watched Grissom closely when he had changed her diaper and was able to copy his movements with little additional struggle.

Yesterday, that had been one of the few things that had worked well when she had to deal with the girl on her own.

When Grissom emerged from the bathroom, he smiled at her and made his way to the kitchen. Soon she could hear the clatter of dishes and cups.

xxxxx

Twenty minutes later, Sara was proud that she and Amelia were able to leave the bathroom without any mishaps.

"Hey," she called upon entering the kitchen, making him almost drop one of the dishes as he put some pancakes on it.

"I'm an old man, don't surprise me like that."

She moved up behind him, close to his ear. "You are _not_ old," she whispered, hoping to convince him. "I don't want to hear anything like that again. Ever."

His shoulders twitched at her sharp tone, and she hoped he would listen to her. She hated it when he talked himself down just like he hated it when she did the same to herself, so it puzzled her why he kept insisting on his flaws.

Amelia was squirming in her arms, reminding her that right now they did not have the time to talk about these things in detail.

"Should I take something with me to the table?"

Grissom had already set the couch table, relying on its low position to give Amelia the opportunity to sit on her own.

As soon as Sara had set Amelia on her feet, she was running around, investigating the kitchen area. "Keep an eye on her while I bring these pancakes out."

Grissom nodded, but soon he was concentrating on flipping some more pancakes, and Amelia was unobserved.

A loud crash of pots falling to the floor and the resulting cry of shock from the little girl led Grissom to curse out and Sara to run back around the counter. Before Grissom could even put the spatula out of his hand, Sara had picked the crying child up and cradled her close.

"Shhh…it's okay. Just some stupid pots. Shhh…" She rocked her a bit, kissing the top of her head, still murmuring some soft words of comfort.

Grissom put the pots away, closing the cupboard more firmly this time, and then stood up to stroke Amelia's back. The girl quieted down after a few more minutes of sobbing.

"Phew, that was close. I can't take that much crying. If she hadn't stopped…" Sara didn't need to finish.

Grissom remembered her state last night only too well. They did not need another crying fit. "Let's eat before all hell breaks loose again."

xxxxx

Breakfast went better than expected after the crisis in the kitchen. Amelia's face was soon covered in the little bit of blackberry jam they had put on her pancake. What they hadn't thought about were the stains. Berries of all kinds were hard to get out of clothing, but they were lucky.

Amelia had almost pressed her hand against her shirt, and only Sara's quick reaction prevented her from getting a hand-shaped stain on the shirt. After that, they knew better, and tied a towel around her. Now the girl would only smear the fruit jam on the towel and her face.

When Amelia was cleaned up again, she was playing with some toys on her blanket. Grissom and Sara took the chance to make some calls.

First they tried the number that the Knightleys had given them again, but they only got the 'not available' Sara had gotten the night before. Sara had jotted down the number of Amelia's aunt at the hospital, so they tried that next.

The woman answered and was ready to help them form a plan. She didn't have another phone number to reach the parents, but she knew where they went and passed that information on. It was a hotel in Maine. It should not be hard to figure out the number. The Aunt had not thought about it earlier because of the medication and felt a bit ashamed that she had put her niece in such a situation.

Grissom tried to reassure her and promised her to come by with Amelia that day.

It really was not that difficult to find the right number, but once they got through, they were disappointed again. The Knightleys were not in their room and by the statement of the receptionist, they would not be back until late at night, but they could leave a message. They left their number with the plea to call them immediately.

The whole situation was muddled. Now they could do nothing but wait.

They had agreed to meet the aunt later in the morning, so they still had some time.

Grissom looked over at Sara, staring off into space. Maybe now was the time to set some things right. "Sara?"

She focused back on Grissom. "Hmm?"

He led her back over to the couch and made her sit. This might take a while.

"Sara, can we talk?"

TBC


	12. Courage

Growing Up

Part 12: Courage

By Dany

Summary: Grissom finally tells Sara about the things that are influencing his decisions.

A/N: Sorry, that I can't provide the new parts faster, but I have very little time to sit down and type everything up. There are other things that are taking priority right now. I hope you still stick to this story. The next part will be up in two weeks at the latest.

xxxxx

Grissom saw Sara swallowing hard at his request for them to talk. He understood her hesitation, but he needed to get this out.

"When someone says that, it's never a good thing. And you saying it makes me want to bolt."

She really looked like it, and Grissom tightened his hand automatically around hers. He could not deny her statement because it was definitely not a good thing, but it was important.

"Sara…" Suddenly he had trouble swallowing, trying to force the words out. "I…I have to tell you something."

A nervous giggle escaped Sara at that moment. "I think we've established that."

It was her attempt to loosen up the situation, even if she felt like someone had kicked her in the gut. Fear was taking over, making her more than just miserable. It was the feeling that her whole existence would be tipped over and torn to pieces. She needed him.

"…about me."

Her stomach was being tied in knots, nausea coursing through her.

"I'm really starting to think about a future…for us." Grissom paused, letting the sentence stand in the room for a while before continuing. "And that scares me."

Sara jumped a bit, moving away from him, getting ready to run, but he held on. She didn't think that this was something she needed to hear.

"It scares me because there are so many things, important things, that you don't know about me."

He was talking in circles, trying to say it without saying it, but he couldn't help himself. This was so hard.

"Grissom," Sara tried to say something, but she didn't get past his name before he interrupted her.

"No, Sara, just listen. Please."

At her curt nod, he took a deep breath to gather some strength. This was so hard.

"Thinking about a future has made me think about what I could contribute. Sara, I'm terribly anti-social, but you already know that. I'm a weird entomologist with some very strange habits, but I don't need to remind you of that either."

His thumb flittered over her hand, moving down to the pulse point, resting there. It was somewhat reassuring.

"If it were only that, I would not worry so much. I know you want to object, but in my eyes, it's true. You deserve so much more."

When she wanted to make his prediction come true, he silenced her with his index finger on her lips, "Ahah…"

She sighed, but slid closer to him again, needing the comfort of his presence.

"I want to tell you about me, about my childhood and the reasons for my previous behavior."

"Wait!" Sara jumped in, not being able to hold her thoughts in anymore.

Grissom was losing his natural color and she couldn't help but be worried. "Can I just tell you something?"

She waited for his response, and when she got an affirmative nod, she plunged ahead. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't feel comfortable with. I know you think I need to hear it, but please, don't feel pressured on my account."

She was making the self-sacrifice again when he was supposed to be the one to contribute something to this relationship.

At that moment, he couldn't help himself. He just had to feel her and show her how grateful he was for her understanding. He leaned in and kissed her, moving his lips against hers, deepening the contact as soon as she responded in kind. Before things could escalate, he remembered his plan and pulled away again. "Sorry."

He fingered a strand of her hair and pushed it behind her ear. "First this and then…then we'll see."

Although she wanted nothing more than his reassurance every way she could get it, it was clear that this was too important to him to push it aside. Whatever it took, she would listen. The knots in her stomach had loosened a bit.

It was apparent that Grissom wanted to be with her and would go to great lengths to accomplish that. He was willing to expose himself. Now she only had to hope that she would not disappoint the trust he had placed in her and that her reaction would be the one he needed.

"I was always different, but what really made me retreat even more was when my mother went deaf and my father left us. Saying it now, it does not seem so bad, but…"

"It's hard enough for an adult to deal with such a burden. A child can break on that." She ended his thought.

It might have sounded unimportant or trivial when it was anything but.

"My father left with a big bang. He ranted and raved as my mother threw stuff in his bag. He had just walked in that evening and announced that he was leaving, and then she couldn't wait to get him out. He said that he couldn't deal anymore and that he had more important things to do. The worst thing, though, was that all the way he kept yelling words I never wanted to hear, but my mother could not hear. I heard them, all of it."

She did not really want to hear what had been said, but it seemed that Grissom needed it. He probably had never told anyone, including his mother. If he could tell her this, maybe…

"Basically he told my mother that she did not live up to his expectations anymore and that a child would only prevent him from having the lifestyle he wanted."

Sara didn't want to imagine what words his father had really used. No matter how many 'nice' words Grissom used, they could not hide the fact that this had inflicted deep wounds in the child's soul.

"My mother never wanted to talk about it, probably because she didn't know what he had said."

With every new revelation, more pieces fell into place. He had just revealed a possible reason why he always kept things quiet and why he was so hesitant to talk about himself.

"My mother lost her hearing because of a hereditary defect."

Grissom paused, giving the words a chance to sink in.

"It's called otosclerosis. It's an abnormal growth of the bones of the middle ear that will eventually lead to hearing loss. There is a twenty-five percent chance of passing it on."

There was only silence after his last declaration.

Sara was still processing everything, trying to sort through all of the information given. The words that stood out were 'hereditary' and 'twenty-five percent chance.'

She looked at Grissom, reading the rest in his eyes and suddenly it made sense: his strange behavior a while ago and the resulting changes he had been trying to make. Even their relationship was put into a new perspective. Had he distanced himself because…

'Hereditary?'

Future…

And then she thought of something else. He said he had been thinking about a future. Her eyes shifted to the little girl still playing on her blanket. 'Twenty-five percent.'

It dawned on her what this all really meant. She nodded slightly, not meaning anything with it. She was still trying to decide what to say. What _did_ one say in such a situation?

Grissom seemed to sense her jumbling thoughts. "Sara?"

His voice was full of concern as he tentatively reached out for her, touching her back softly. She knew she had to say something or he would panic.

That he was not retreating, even touching her, was a good sign and she didn't want to jeopardize anything.

"I'm still calculating. When you took that vacation..."

He sighed and nodded haltingly. "Today, there is a surgery that can stall the progression."

She wanted to ask him why he didn't tell her, but she already knew the answer. It would have been too much, and their relationship had deteriorated too far. It was depressing but true.

"I'm glad that you're okay for now."

There was no use denying that, if she had understood him correctly, the problem could occur again.

"Bugz!"

Amelia's yell drew their attention back to her. So far, she had been exceptionally quiet, but now she was holding herself up with the help of the couch table, admiring the bugs above them.

She did not demand their immediate attendance, but it reminded Sara that there was something else she needed to ask. "Grissom?"

She had to stay hypothetical. Everything else felt too direct. "Knowing about your medical predisposition, the twenty-five percent would be too great a risk, wouldn't it?"

She didn't want to bring herself into the equation. Grissom had his gaze directed at Amelia, who was still staring at his collection.

"I used to think so."

Her heart refused to give up. He had only talked in the past.

"Twenty-five percent is a lot if you think about it. And I lived with it. But it's not only about me. There is a child involved and parents are supposed to act responsibly. And no child without _two_ responsible partners. I might know what to expect, but everyone has to be prepared to handle the consequences."

Damn, sometimes he was really infuriating. Now she had to decipher his speech. It was too vague to respond to it immediately. Over the last few days, she had almost forgotten how frustrating he could be.

Did that mean if the circumstances were right he would take the risk? Did he want a child?

What was even more interesting for her was the question whether she would be involved in his future.

After last night, she didn't have the strength to engage in a guessing game, so the only other option was to push her luck. Grissom was feeling like sharing today and it was questionable when such a chance would present itself again.

She mentally counted to ten and took a deep breath. "Grissom, I know I'm supposed to read between the lines but I can't; not today. So please, I'm begging you, what do _you_ want for your future? Do you want a family despite your history?"

He swallowed. The answer was so easy and yet so difficult. However, he had promised himself to be honest. "Maybe."

Her face told him that she did not like that answer. She needed more.

"I think that the decision to have a family takes a lot of planning. Right now is not the time for that. I think I need some answers first. Because for me to find a partner, she has to be prepared to live with a hearing impaired man and possibly a child with the same problem."

That he did not want a decision now was a relief because although she wanted nothing more than to be with him, there was so much else that needed to be addressed.

"Do I want children?"

She dreaded and anticipated the answer at the same time. What she had never realized was that this whole issue was important to her. The last few weeks had changed her position on a lot of things.

"If I still had the chance with the right woman who is also willing to deal with me and prepared to take the risk…then yes."

A weight was lifted off of her as Sara let his words sink in. Had they really just covered this huge amount of ground?

Halfway, because he had not yet asked what _she_ wanted. Until then she would believe that she was this woman.

She smiled, truly happy with this development, making him smile in return.

TBC


	13. Step forward

Growing Up

Part 13: Step forward

Summary: A visit to the hospital.

A/N: I tried to get it up sooner, but then the net striked and I had to postpone everything. I think the next part will be done much sooner.

xxxxx

Grissom was watching Sara. She sat on the floor playing with Amelia.

They had found a small soft ball in one of the bags, but they had only given it to her now because they feared it could shatter some of the glass items in Grissom's house. Now, with Sara watching Amelia closely, participating in the game, they had allowed the girl to play with it.

Grissom had remained on the couch, preferring to watch the two and sort through his thoughts.

It was unbelievable what he had just confessed to Sara. How did he get that all out? And Sara…she had taken it in without commenting, just listening calmly.

She had not said anything about her wishes and dreams, but he had not asked. They could talk about that another time. Not that she wasn't important, but they had had enough for today.

For now, he would concentrate on building a solid foundation for their relationship, and more immediately, getting through this weekend.

"Grissom, are you still here?"

He had not noticed that Sara had stopped her play with Amelia and had looked at him. "Yes, sorry."

Her smirk told him she didn't fall for his fib. "Sure. I said we could get ready to go and see Amelia's aunt."

Getting off of the couch, Grissom nodded and walked over to them. To her great surprise, he picked Amelia up and headed to the bathroom to change her.

She loved it when he took the initiative and showed more self-confidence. She didn't want to acknowledge the fact that he could also be hiding after his revelation. Later, she vowed, she would show him that she appreciated the trust he had placed in her.

xxxxx

They knocked hesitantly, not really knowing what to expect. It was likely that they had already seen the aunt at Amelia's birthday party, but the only ones with whom they had talked had been Amelia's grandparents.

What would the woman think of them?

They had only talked on the phone, and that had been brief. She must have doubts to let her niece stay with strangers and was probably blaming herself for their dilemma. She sounded friendly and open on the phone, but you never knew.

"Come in!"

Sara opened the door and carried Amelia in. Grissom was following her.

There were two beds, but only one was occupied. The woman was about Sara's age, and they realized they had indeed seen her at the party, but other than a short greeting, there had been no chance to talk to her. They had not stayed long enough and had concentrated mostly on Amelia.

"Hi Ammi." The woman held her arms out, and Amelia mimicked her until Sara placed her on the bed beside her aunt.

"Dr. Grissom, Ms. Sidle. Nice to meet you. I'm Grace, Alex's sister. But you already know that."

She held out her hand, greeting them, but soon returned to holding her niece.

"Is everything okay? Is she eating enough? How did she sleep last night? Is she giving you much trouble?"

She was clearly worried, just as they had predicted and almost didn't give them the chance to reply. When she took the time to examine Amelia's face, searching for some answers, maybe even signs of neglect, Grissom took the chance and jumped in.

"She's fine. We got a list with instructions from your sister. Although she hadn't planned on Amelia staying with us for quite so long, it has really helped us. She was a little homesick yesterday, but we managed."

Amelia was fiddling with the cables of the control for the bed, unimpressed by the hospital surroundings.

"I feel so bad that I can't take care of her. I'm being released today, but I don't know if I could keep up with her." She patted the cast on her left leg, which was propped up with a pillow.

Amelia noticed her aunt's move and turned in her arms so that she could look at the cast. She seemed fascinated with it. One tiny hand reached out and touched the cast, patting it like Grace had done herself. However, after the first few gentle pats, they got a little too forceful and she tried to remove the child from her leg. The limited range of motion and Amelia's weight were making it impossible.

Sara took the matter into her own hands and picked Amelia up.

"We, uh, have reached the hotel, but your sister and her husband were out. They took a day trip and will be back late, but we left a message."

Sara was clearly nervous, the unusual situation stressing her more than she wanted to admit, especially in front of Amelia's aunt, but Grissom noticed it. His hand moved behind her back, exerting soft pressure on the small of her back. The touch seemed to calm her. It was proof that she was not alone in this.

Grace nodded, showing some relief that they had at least made progress in reaching her sister. Things were looking up. "Thank you."

As Sara was about to wave it off, she continued, "No, thank you for being there for Amelia. Twice, actually."

This time Sara just nodded and smiled, not really being comfortable with the attention but not wanting to dismiss the woman's words rudely.

"We were glad to help. Amelia is really a special child."

Grace reached out to the girl and smoothed a lock that had fallen onto her forehead out of the way. "That she is. So, she's going to stay with you until Alex and Patrick return?"

"If you want."

"I would really like to take her, but I can't. Still, I feel bad because I have to put the responsibility on you."

Sara swallowed, knowing Grace was trying to give them an out, but was that right? They should be able to handle the child for a little longer. "It's alright. Her parents will probably be back as soon as they hear what happened."

She was sure of her decision and hoped that Grissom would go along with it. "We know that having a child around while being restricted by a cast would be too much for anyone to handle. It's not like we are talking about weeks. We would really like to help you."

Amelia's aunt looked down on the cast and frowned. "I'm being released."

It was a last effort to test their readiness, although everyone knew that this was the best solution.

"You can call any time and we will call you when we hear from your sister."

Grissom did not seem to have any objections, and Sara wondered if he remembered that she was scheduled for work tonight. If Amelia's parents didn't show, which was very likely, _he_ would be alone with the child. She would have to talk about that with him later on.

"We can take you home, maybe get the things you'll need," Grissom offered, showing his capacity to really care about people. Why had she ever doubted him? Why did the others? They should all know better.

"That would be really nice. But only if it isn't too much trouble." Grace pushed the call button for the nurse to ask how long it would take to get the discharge papers ready.

"There are some medications I need. Other than that I should be fine. If there's really something I need, I'm sure one of my neighbors will help me out."

Within twenty minutes, they were out of the hospital.

xxxxx

Both Grissom and Sara were glad to be back in the sheltered silence of Grissom's town house, although it didn't stay quiet for long.

Amelia loudly voiced her discomfort when Grissom set her down. She started huffing and making gurgling sounds that soon turned into a few soft cries. Before it could escalate, Sara picked her up again and carried her to the bathroom while Grissom made for the kitchen area. A new diaper would not be the only thing the girl needed.

As he stood there warming up some of the carrot leftovers from last night, this time with rice, his thoughts started wandering.

This was getting easier. After only one day, they were really getting the hang of it. There had been no big discussion, no endless debate about what needed to be done. That was the way he liked it and it showed that he and Sara were really on the road of recovery. Their silent communication was improving again.

If it would only stay that way, but the fear of messing up was still present.

Things were looking up so much that he had even revealed his biggest secrets to Sara. He had to hold onto that trust. He had to trust himself and her.

Dimly, he heard the blubbering of the boiling rice water and remembered the pot just in time to prevent it from boiling over. He turned the heat down and looked in the direction of the bathroom, wondering what was taking so long.

The rice was not done, but suddenly he felt the need to see her.

This was real.

It was not long until Sara did emerge from the bathroom.

"Sorry, took a bit longer. I, uhm, had to wash her." She didn't need to elaborate for Grissom to understand.

"Food's not done anyway."

Sara tried to keep Amelia busy while waiting for lunch to be ready. He tried to speed the process up, but then decided that charred rice at the bottom of the pot would not be a contribution to anyone's health. Instead, he took the time to watch Sara and Amelia.

She was reading to her again, but Amelia didn't seem interested. She was getting really cranky. The stress and excitement of the morning were probably catching up with her. A nap was definitely in order when she was done eating. Hopefully a full stomach would make her sleep better.

Lunch was uneventful and soon they had retired to the bedroom, finishing the chapter of the book and Sara singing to her. They didn't have to drive around this time. Amelia was so tired that she dropped off to sleep without much fuss.

TBC


	14. Sweet Surprise

Growing Up

Part 14: Sweet surprise

Summary: Relaxation and planning at Grissom's.

xxxxx

They used the down time during Amelia's nap separately. Even though they liked being together, it was needed distance. Neither wanted to freak and back away.

Sara used the time to take a nap herself. Her body clock was really screwed up with the sleep changes of the last two days, and she had to go to work tonight.

It took a while to get to sleep, so long that she really doubted it would happen. She thought about Grissom and how wonderful he had been. For a moment, she wished he would have been so open and understanding when she first arrived in Vegas, but then she admonished herself for wanting something that was long passed. She should be thankful for what she had and wish for a perfect future, not the past.

She had this Grissom…and with this thought, she fell asleep.

All the while Grissom was outside in the living area, cleaning up a bit, trying to resist the temptation to call Greg about the bugs. The risk was too great that his lie to Catherine was discovered, so he cleaned.

It was amazing how much mess an additional person and a child could create. Not that he really minded.

The way his home had come alive tempted his imagination to take flight into waters that were still a little too dangerous. He had to stick to the here and now.

Amelia would be gone soon, and then he was back to concentrating on Sara.

Suddenly, an idea shot through his mind. Wasn't it possible to concentrate on Sara today? She had to go to work tonight, but a nice dinner should be doable.

He tiptoed to the bedroom and took a peek in. The two 'ladies' seemed fast asleep. He quickly wrote a note telling Sara he would be back soon and placed it on the breakfast bar.

Hopefully, she would find it if she woke before he was back.

xxxxx

When he returned, he had to smile, seeing that Sara and Amelia were still sleeping. Luck seemed to be with him.

It was funny that a person who almost never slept had no problem sleeping here, in his house. Should he assign a deeper meaning to this? Dangerous waters, his mind warned, and he concentrated back on his plan.

He had to get Sara out of the house so that he could get everything ready for the evening. As luck, or rather, a genius mind, would have it, he already had a plan.

To get new clothes, she had to go to her apartment. That should get him enough to time to at least get dinner into the oven before she returned. His plan depended on her leaving.

That sounded strange. He did _not_ want her to 'leave', but she had to, only for an hour or two.

He wanted it to be perfect. Even if he knew that it would be most likely not be perfect, he at least wanted to try and make this evening special for her.

While there was no reaction from the bedroom, Grissom busied himself with some more cleaning, and he was able to finish an article that was long overdue.

A quick look at his watch told him that it was shortly before four. The girls had been sleeping for almost two hours now. Amelia should not sleep much longer if he wanted any chance of her going to bed tonight.

Now he had a dilemma: wake her up and make her cranky now or let her sleep and have her up half the night.

He decided to bite the bullet and wake her. Tonight he would be alone and the sooner she went to bed, the better. However, there was another problem: how did he wake up the girl without waking Sara?

She could definitely use some more sleep.

It would probably be easiest to take her out of the bedroom, and if she hadn't woken from the movement, he could lay her down on the blanket and wake her then.

When he entered the bedroom, he could see Sara still lying fast asleep in his bed. He was so focused on her form that he almost didn't notice that someone else was already awake.

Only some huffing and rustling alerted him to the girl who was trying to stand up in her bed, but her foot was caught in the blanket. This situation required his immediate attention because he didn't want her to start crying out of frustration.

He tore his gaze away from Sara and went to pick up Amelia. As soon as she saw him approaching in the dark, she held up her arms.

He was relieved when he made it out of the room without waking Sara. What's more, Amelia seemed to be in a good mood. She was smiling and bouncing in his arms. "Da!"

Her little fingers played over his beard and she started giggling when it prickled her skin.

"Well, I see you are in a good mood and not sleepy at all. You have been up for a while, haven't you?"

She giggled some more when he poked her tummy and started tickling her. "Da!"

"We can't do anything really loud because Sara is still sleeping. But we can play on your blanket."

The little girl laid her head on her shoulder as if she was thinking hard about something, looking very serious. "Out?"

She pointed to the door, but when Grissom shook his head, she pouted for a few seconds, making Grissom almost melt.

"Sara is sleeping; we can't leave her here alone."

As fast as the pout had come, it vanished again and was replaced with a smile. Amelia pointed to her blanket and said, "Down? Pway?"

This time Grissom nodded and set her down carefully before he knelt to join her.

xxxxx

Sara could see the light filtered through the blinds when she woke up. Still a little bit confused after waking in Grissom's bed, she took a deep breath and let his residue smell from the sheets fill the blanks in her memory.

She was really sleeping better here with Grissom or at least in his bed. She just felt so calm, relaxed and warm. She didn't want to get up, but she knew she had to.

The clock told her that it was four-thirty. Three hours, that was good, considering she had slept last night.

Another glance around the room told her that she was alone. Amelia was not in her bed. Grissom had probably taken her out of the bedroom when she had woken, but why hadn't she heard anything? Was she really sleeping good enough to transform her light sleep into a normal slumber?

This had to be tested more often, and she had nothing against being a test subject in this particular experiment. Wouldn't that be something?

Grissom would probably freak if he knew how far her thoughts were jumping ahead. Time to divert her thoughts.

She was curious what Grissom was doing to keep Amelia busy, so she slid out of bed and made her way to the living room.

She hid behind a pillar, not wanting to interrupt them. Without being seen, she was able to observe a Grissom that she would never forget, like most of this weekend.

Amelia was sitting on her blanket facing Grissom. She was waving her plush ladybug in the air. Grissom was on the floor, lying on his side, his head propped up with one hand.

At first it seemed as if he was only watching the girl, but when the ladybug landed, his free hand moved. He held the chipmunk, moving it up and down. This gave the impression that the chipmunk was hopping towards Amelia.

"Have you got something for me to eat? I'm hungry." His voice was all funny, but Amelia delighted in the play. "Can you fly and find something for me?"

The girl nodded and the ladybug was lifted into the air again. She stood up and looked around. Then she seemed to spot something and ran over to the counter. "Upper."

She looked at Grissom and stretched her hands even further.

Sara retreated a bit when she saw Grissom get up, hoping that he wouldn't see or feel her presence. He didn't seem to notice her, though, as he picked Amelia up.

She grinned and took the box of cookies that Grissom had bought on his shopping trip and had left on the bar.

"Ah, so you've seen them. Alright."

Grissom carried the girl, the ladybug and the cookies back to the blanket.

Amelia shook the box, still grinning.

"Does the ladybug need some help to open the _huge_ cookie home?"

Sara had to suppress her laughter and 'awwww' at Grissom's behavior. This was amazing.

He opened the box and Amelia took a cookie. She held it out for the chipmunk, and as her hand moved closer, Grissom asked, "How does it sound when he eats the cookie?"

"Crk." Amelia imitated the sound.

Suddenly, startling Grissom, another sound echoed from behind him. It was a snicker followed by "Crk, Crk."

TBC


	15. Space?

Growing Up

Part 15: Space?

Summary:Grissom's planleads to some distance and reflection.

A/N: That took longer than I planed, sorry. I hope some of you are still with me.

Xxxxx

"Sara!"

His head swiveled around, shocked at being caught like that.

She smiled, but when she saw a hint of panic in his eyes, she squatted down behind him and laid one arm over his waist while the other went to the back of his neck. It was an awkward embrace but it brought her close to him. "I love you."

She gave him a quick kiss.

"I love that I get to see you like that."

Another kiss.

"I love that you can be a real teddy bear."

Kiss.

"I love you."

A smile.

"And I hope this doesn't freak you out."

Grissom was speechless, not really scared, just speechless.

He stared up at her, the plush chipmunk falling from his hand.

"I _am_ freaking you out, aren't I?" Her eyes were clouding over, battling some tears away.

At that moment, Grissom realized that he was about to ruin a moment that should have been perfect. He had promised to try.

Before she could retreat, he leaned over and returned her kisses. "No, you're not."

He trailed some kisses to her ear and whispered, "Thank you."

When she smiled as he pulled away, he was glad that he had just made it.

"So, what's the plan for the rest of the day?"

She sat down behind him, keeping her arms around him as he turned back to Amelia.

Of course the little girl couldn't help him, but her smile gave him the push to go along with his plan.

"Since you have to be at work tonight, I thought maybe you would like to go to your apartment to get some new clothes and everything else you need. Then you could come back and we could have dinner."

He had not given her the chance to interrupt, hastening through his planned speech. If he gave her the chance, she would probably misunderstand something. She could think that he didn't want her here when that was the last thing he wanted. He hoped that she had listened to the end to know that this was not about him wanting her gone, wanting to be alone, or feeling crowded.

He just wanted to surprise her, but he couldn't tell her that.

"Will you be alright with her? I really need new clothes for work. And I don't have an outfit in my locker anymore."

He showed less relief than he felt, not wanting to alert her to the fact that he was hiding something.

"I think I can manage. I'll have to tonight."

The question now was: should he broach the other thing on his mind? He was scared she would turn him down, but he was just as scared that she would take him up on it. He wanted her around, not only because of Amelia. What scared him most was that that would be the third day in a row and that heightened the chance of messing up.

Additionally, he was really getting used to having her around. Soon it would not be enough to 'see' her occasionally.

Were they ready for that?

Well, he was about to find out. This weekend was proving to be a real turning point.

"Could you get some clothes for tomorrow? I mean…you could also return to your apartment after work. You'll need your rest and I would understand…"

He was rambling. Gil Grissom was rambling.

That's what Sara did to him. The wordy, eloquent man had vanished and an insecure man in love was left behind.

In love - how long had that seemed impossible?

"Of course I will be back. If you want me." Sara gave him a shy smile, breaking off before she would be rambling too.

"Good, then that's settled." Grissom turned back to Amelia who was watching both of them, cuddling her ladybug close to her chest, her thumb in her mouth. "Is the bug too tired to fly?"

When he reached out to wriggle the toy from her and make it fly, Amelia shook her head and grinned around her thumb. She stood up and waved the bug around again.

"While you're gone I can prepare dinner and maybe take a walk with her."

It was his not so subtle way to get her out of the house, but Sara seemed to miss that point completely as she nodded and gave him a quick kiss before returning to the bedroom to gather her things. When she emerged again, he forced himself not to look up and remain casual.

"When should I have dinner ready?"

A moment later, he wondered where this domesticity came from. Her smile let him forget all the implications that came with this association. 'This' was now, and he should concentrate on that.

"How about six-thirty or, rather, seven? But I don't think Amelia will last that long." Sara put her bag down next to the girl and stroked her cheek, making her smile.

"I'll tide her over by giving her something in an hour or so. Whatever time you prefer will be fine."

Sara cocked her head to the side, calculating the time she would need at her apartment. "I think seven would be better. I probably also need to go through some bills and water my plants."

"Good, seven it is."

Sara nodded, gave Amelia a kiss on the cheek, and winked at Grissom before closing the door behind her.

"Finally!"

"Da!"

xxxxx

Sara let out a sigh when she closed the door of her apartment behind her. Home.

Not that she hadn't enjoyed staying with Grissom – on the contrary. There was nothing better than waking up next to him. She had never felt so rested, warm, protected…loved.

She thought that maybe a little breather would do him good now that he could not hide behind his work. Did she need one?

It seemed ridiculous because she would be going to work tonight, but it was there, wasn't it?

She looked around her apartment, trying to consciously relax and let the outside world fall away. This was her home.

Then why did it feel so cold?

Everything looked completely normal, nothing was out of place. She pushed herself off of the door and began to light some lamps all around the apartment.

It was the middle of the day and the sun was still high in the sky. She hoped the lights would spread their warmth. When that didn't help much, she opened the windows to let in some warm air. Additionally, she turned on the stereo, needing some background noise.

Her steps halted when she realized what was happening. The loneliness and isolation she had thought normal were much more pronounced now that she had gotten used to the buzz of the last two days.

How _had_ she gotten used to it so fast?

The answer was, as with most personal things, Grissom.

Why should she feel uncomfortable if their relationship was finally moving in the right direction? Grissom had opened up to her.

A smile appeared on her face. As tragic as the reason for their talk had been, something positive came out of it. Maybe now, Grissom would be able to look forward with more confidence, in her and himself.

She had pretended that it was okay, but inside, something was burning. Her heart ached for him, but she knew an overreaction would have made it worse for him.

And then, his hearing…it was something that would always been an issue. She would have to do some research on it, but she was sure that she could live with every consequence as long as Grissom was with her. The future looked much brighter now that she had found her place outside of work.

Looking around her apartment once more, she decided to hurry. Timeout be damned. The sooner she was done here, the sooner the warmth would return.

TBC


	16. Learning Domesticity

Growing Up

Part 16: Learning Domesticity

Summary: Will Sara like her surprise?

A/N: I know I'm still in the big pile of fluff, but I'll try to get some action into later chapters again. Enjoy!

xxxx

"No, Amelia!" Grissom's voice boomed through the kitchen, startling both the child and him.

Her face was scrunched up, already showing the onset of tears. Quickly, he put the potholders away and scooped the girl up into his arms.

"Hey, hey, little bug. I didn't mean to yell at you."

The tears were pooling in her eyes and Grissom held her tighter, whispering soft words into her hair.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to get so loud. It's just, you could have burnt yourself."

He had caught her just as she was about to touch the open oven. She had stretched and reached out, trying to see what he was doing. His attention had been on the hot form, wanting to see if the food was done. He had underestimated her and would not have thought that she could reach that far up. How could he have been so negligent? First, he had let her out of his sight, and then he had left the hot oven standing open.

He looked down at her and was glad to see that her eyes had cleared. She was staring up at him, watching his every move, but the doubts seemed to be gone.

"I'm sorry."

He gave her a light kiss on top of her head. "Look, this is hot."

To show her what he meant, he reached out as if to touch the oven and then at the last moment he pulled his hand away. "Ouch! Hot!"

"Hot?" Amelia cocked her head to one side, pointing to the offensive kitchen tool.

"Yes, the oven is hot because I made dinner in there."

She nodded and Grissom hoped that she really understood it this time.

"Now, I have to put the food back in so that it stays warm until Sara comes back, okay?"

Again he got a nod and he put her down. He kept her in his sight until he had closed the oven.

"Come on, we have to finish setting the table."

He dug deep in one of the drawers, searching for something he knew had to be there.

Although Catherine would never believe it, he had the equipment for a nice romantic dinner. His mother had always gotten him stuff like candles and deco lights. Until now, he had never used them, not even at the previous dinners with Sara.

Finally, he found what he had been looking for. It looked like a candle, but there was a small LED lamp inside. He didn't even know why he kept it, but now it came in handy.

There were only a few places where he could put some real candles, and the table was definitely out. He didn't want Amelia getting too close to the fire. He could light some on the counter and up on the shelf. This one would do nicely on the table. Safety first.

Grissom bent down to face Amelia and held the fake candle out for her to take. "Can you put that on the table?"

Without giving him a reply she trotted away. Even if she didn't put it on the table, there was not much that could go wrong. As a plus, he had her out of the kitchen area for a short time. Every open cupboard was a potential danger zone. His kitchen was simply not childproof.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Amelia returning to the kitchen without the candle. He hoped she hadn't hidden it somewhere.

This time he handed her the napkins and he followed her out of the kitchen with the dishes. As soon as she put the napkins down, she fingered the fake candle again.

With a smile, he set the dishes down and took the candle from her. He switched it on, which made her eyes go wide. "Hot?"

Grissom shook his head. "No, not this one. If the candle is lit up here," he pointed to the wick, "_then_ it's hot."

"Not hot?"

Tentatively, she reached out and touched it at the bottom. "Not hot."

A toothy smile appeared on her face, making him smile in return.

He let her play with the fake candle while he set the rest of the table.

xxxxx

"Grissom?"

When she encountered mostly darkness upon entering the townhouse, Sara called out for Grissom. It was not likely that he had put Amelia down already.

Suddenly, she felt something hit her legs, and when she looked down, she saw Amelia smiling up at her. "Hey!"

Amelia held her little arms up in the already familiar plea to be picked up.

Sara put her bag to the side and indulged the girl by doing as she wished. "Where is Grissom? Can you tell me where he is?"

The girl made a thinking face and then pointed down the hall.

"Okay, then let's check that out." Sara carried Amelia to the kitchen area. She stopped short as she rounded the corner. Her eyes moved around the room before they settled on Grissom, meeting his eyes.

He was standing beside the set table, looking incredibly adorable. His face showed some doubt, probably wondering if she liked it.

She was tempted to let him stew by not reacting just to tease him, but this was too important to him. She was not going to test the waters just yet, so she decided to reward him.

Once she put Amelia down, setting her on the couch, she walked over to Grissom and wove her arms around his neck. "Thank you."

His reward was meant to show him how much she appreciated his efforts, but the kiss evolved into something more. Passion and love transpired between them in this moment, making them forget about dinner for a while.

When they finally separated, there was a quite different hunger burning in them. Sara would have loved nothing better than to still this hunger, but reason won out and she focused on reality again. "Later," she whispered, not able to resist teasing him with her breath on his neck.

Grissom growled but stepped back, trying to regain some control.

The teasing glint in her eyes told him she was perfectly aware of the effect she had on him. "So…dinner?"

She extricated herself and plopped down on the couch next to Amelia, who had been looking at the butterflies again.

Grissom shook his head, finding the situation slightly surreal but amusing. "Right, dinner. But you're sitting in the wrong place."

He motioned for the pillow landscape around the couch table. "My knees will hate me, but right now this is the best I can do."

Sara huffed but took Amelia and slid down onto the pillows. The picture the two ladies presented was unique. They sat side by side, smiling at him expectantly.

"Who wants some food?"

The smile grew into a grin, showing off the gaps between the teeth. "I guess that answers my question."

He took two of the dishes and brought them to the kitchen.

Sara tried to see what he was doing, still not knowing what he had prepared, but the bar and his broad back prevented her from seeing anything.

Only when he placed it in front of her, she saw that he had made lasagna. With spinach, to be exact.

She looked at Amelia's plate and noticed that it appeared to be the same food. Did kids this age already eat that?

"Grissom?" she called, but he was too busy preparing his own plate. He didn't even seem to notice her.

"Grissom, should she eat that?"

When he returned, he just smiled at her. "No salt, no onions. The question is not whether she should eat it but if she will."

"And how do you know this?"

Now she was really curious how he knew what to cook for a child. She had heard that you should be careful with salt, but otherwise she would have been at a loss as to what to do.

"I have my sources."

He had that look again, that 'I won't tell you because you have to figure it out on your own' look. It made her want to slug him and kiss him at the same time. Irritating and charming, that's what he was.

How did he know about the food?

A smile lit up her face as the pieces fell into place. "You called her aunt."

He tipped his index finger against his nose and smirked at her knowingly.

If he ever gave this battle of minds that raged between them up, she would have to kick his cute behind. It gave her a thrill that was associated only with Grissom, and she never wanted to miss that feeling. She loved the challenge, but she knew he did as well.

"Alright, then let's see if your cooking passes the gourmet test."

TBC


	17. New Night

Growing Up

Part 17: New Night

Summary: The end of the babysitting job is near.

A/N: Hope this is realistic. There are some very "experimental" things I wrote. Enjoy!

xxxxx

At last, Sara put the fork away, groaning at the fullness. "From now on, you're the cook."

Grissom smiled, obviously pleased that his culinary skills had passed the test. "It would either get dull very fast, or it would get very experimental. And I know how much you hate my experiments when they involve a fridge."

"So…you want _me_ to get experimental?" Sara leaned forward to get closer to him. Her voice was lowered, carrying the hint of a threat.

"Experimental?" There was a strange glint in his eyes that caused little shocks to run through her. "Yes, but not in the kitchen with food I have to eat."

Sara pouted overdramatically, making him almost laugh out loud, but he held it in with considerable effort. He didn't want to provoke her and be at the wrong end of her temper. When she stood up and moved around the table stealthily like a cat, he had to fight the urge to squirm. Sara was so intense in everything and the feelings she evoked in him were equally forceful.

This was what he had always been afraid of, and yet, now that he knew it could work, he never wanted to miss it again.

Sara moved closer and closer, and before he could react, she straddled his hips. Now she sat in his lap and dove in for a kiss, surprising him, although he should have seen it coming.

Intensity - that was the only way to describe what went on at that moment.

As they broke off for air, Sara whispered a 'thank you' into his ear. The way she held him and smiled into his neck, added the unspoken 'for everything.'

For that moment, Grissom didn't think about his worries and fears; he just was…happy.

xxxxx

"I think it's time." Grissom nodded towards Amelia who was just throwing a ball in his direction.

After dinner they had been relaxing on the floor with Sara close to the girl. Soon they had been incorporated in her play.

She was getting tired, rubbing her eyes every now and then or twirling her hair around her fingers.

"How are we going to do this?" Sara was skeptical, remembering the previous evening all too well. She wasn't sure if she could go through that again.

Grissom was still thinking, hoping to come up with a plan to ease her mind, when the phone rang.

"Grissom."

"Dr. Grissom. Patrick Knightley here."

Grissom looked over to Sara and Amelia but remained focused mainly on the phone call. "Mr. Knightley, we've been waiting for your call."

"Yes, I'm so sorry for that. I already talked to Grace. Is Amelia okay?"

A small smile played over Grissom's face as he watched Sara trying to convince the little girl to play with something that wasn't quite so 'activating.' The ball had the opposite effect.

"Yes, she's playing right now, but we were getting ready to put her to bed."

"That's good. We tried to get a flight tonight, but everything is booked solid. I'm sorry we put you in this position."

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Sara struggling to get Amelia out of her sweater, but then she simply picked her up and vanished into the bathroom. He hoped she would be able to get the girl into her pajamas without making her cry.

"You couldn't have known that this would happen."

"Yeah, but we weren't even there when you tried to call us. What kind of parents are we?"

The other man sounded truly distressed. Grissom could somehow sympathize with him. The sense of failure because you were not there for someone you were responsible for was not unfamiliar.

"But you did plan everything out. That your sister-in-law broke her leg was unforeseeable. No one could have seen this coming. You left a number and precise instructions. Believe me, I've seen neglected children and irresponsible parents, and neither is the case here."

He heard a sigh on the other end of the line. "Still…"

"It's alright."

How could he comfort the man? He didn't know all the answers.

"We'll be there tomorrow morning. We're taking the first flight at seven-twenty, and we'll be back in Vegas at ten-thirty. Would that be okay for you? I'm really sorry that we can't be there any sooner."

There was silence for a second, but then Patrick Knightley continued, "I forgot, you have to work nights. Oh jeez…what…"

Before he could go into overdrive, Grissom stopped the tirade by assuring the other man. "I have the day off and Sara had last night."

The half-truth was getting easier to sell.

"Really?"

"Yes, no worries. Don't rush yourself. You know when your flight leaves, and that _is_ the best you can do for now. Until you're back, your daughter will be fine. We'll make sure of that."

It probably did not really reassure Mr. Knightley or his wife, but Grissom knew there was nothing that could until they were there to pick up their daughter.

"Thank you. I know it might seem strange, but we were glad to hear that she was still with you. We feel like we can really trust you. Thank you."

Now he was a bit speechless. They really trusted him and Sara with the most precious thing on earth, their daughter. In a world like this and with what they had to live through only a few months prior, it was a wonder that they had trusted them so easily.

After a short 'it's nothing' and mutual goodbyes, Grissom was relieved that the solution was near.

A quick look around told him that Sara was still nowhere to be seen, so he went to investigate.

He found them in the bedroom, Sara dressing Amelia in a thick sweater above her pajamas. "Uh, Sara?"

She didn't react, just raised her eyebrows in intense concentration. Then she looked around and reached for a pair of thick socks and put them on the girl. Amelia let everything happen without a sound of protest.

"Sara?"

She jumped a bit in her crouched position and almost toppled over. "Jeez, don't sneak up on me like that."

The glare in her eyes when she turned her head almost made him step back, but her expression softened again after only a second.

"Sorry," she smiled at him apologetically.

"I know you don't like to be surprised. But you were so…focused on dressing Amelia."

Sara just smiled and continued putting the sock on.

"So, what are you doing?"

"We're going for a walk."

"Are we?" This time it was Grissom who couldn't follow the leaps the other was making.

"Yes, we are." Although she was absolutely serious, he could hear the amusement transported in her voice.

"Care to explain why?" Not wanting to seem defensive, he fought the urge to cross his arms, but he lost.

"Yes, if you put your shoes and coat on."

He remained standing in the doorway at first, but then he shrugged and left the room to do as Sara told him. When she emerged from the back of the house with a fully dressed and bundled up Amelia in her arms, he was waiting for them. She walked past him without another word. Although he wanted nothing more than to ask, he knew better. To his surprise, Sara put Amelia in her stroller and pushed it out the door.

When the cold night air hit her, she wrapped her jacket tighter around her and checked to see if Amelia was wrapped up warm enough in her blanket.

Grissom watched everything with a certain fascination. He didn't do more than observe, however, because he was afraid that he would disturb the confidence Sara seemed to have found for the moment. After last night, that was important for her.

"We are going to try a different tactic tonight." Sara turned around to explain her plan. "I already put her in her pajamas, and I hope that when we get back from our walk, she will be asleep. Deep enough to strip her down to the pajamas again, hopefully."

Her plan made sense; it definitely had potential. Grissom gave her an approving smile, put his hand on her back, and followed her down the street.

"So, will you tell me what the Knightleys said?"

TBC


	18. Reinforcements

Growing Up

Part 18: Reinforcements

Summary: Sara has to go to work and faces some uncomfortable questions.

A/N: I know it took me a while, but finally the other CSIs get some action.

xxxxx

It was an hour later when they returned to the townhouse with a sleeping Amelia.

The girl had fussed a bit at first, and after the second block, Grissom had to carry her for a while before she settled down again.

They had been able to discuss what should happen until the Knightleys returned. Sara would have to go to work tonight; there was no way around it. Grissom would stay at the house, watching Amelia. Then in the morning, Sara would be back.

They were very careful undressing the girl and putting her to bed, but they shouldn't have worried – Amelia slept through everything.

For a few minutes, both gazed into the bed.

Sara was lost in her thoughts again. She looked down into the angelic face and suddenly had a hard time holding back her tears. A lot of suppressed memories were resurfacing the longer she was around the girl. With that also came thoughts about the future and the fears of what kind of a world would be waiting for such a sweet child. She had probably seen almost everything, on and off the job, and her imagination was running wild.

One glance over to Grissom told her that he was not having entirely pleasant thoughts either. Thinking was such a huge part of their life that sometimes they couldn't stop, which lead to worrying and over-thinking.

There was no time today to work through another life story. She was ready.

Now she only had to hope he was too.

Right now, she did not want herself or him to sink further into their dark thoughts, so she tore herself away from the bed. She wrapped her hand around Grissom's and pulled him away, hoping to steer his thoughts into a more positive direction.

xxxxx

"Hey, Sara. How was your night off?"

Nick wandered into the breakroom, ten minutes before shift.

"Okay." She didn't even look up from her reading, but Nick detected a little smile that Sara tried to hide.

"Must have been good."

The comment was meant to provoke and Nick got the reaction he had aimed for. Sara looked up, a bit confused and angry, which told him that she hadn't been aware that she had given herself away.

She tried to deflect him with a glare, but Nick was not so easily scared. "Does he treat you right?"

The question would have been strange from someone else, but this was Nick. He worried about her, going into some kind of big brother mode, wanting to protect her. Maybe it was his upbringing, maybe pure affection, or maybe he was remembering her last attempt at dating.

It should have made her angry, but her mood was good enough that she decided to let it pass.

Sara went back to her reading, trying to ignore Nick.

"Sar..." He wandered over and sat down next to her on the couch. His voice was soft, the teasing note gone. "Just tell me that he's treating you right."

Now he had put her in a bind. What should she do?

If she confirmed that there was indeed someone, he would get back to this. Maybe not today, but he would. If she told him to get lost or simply said nothing, he wouldn't leave her alone until he found the truth.

She was not good in these interactions and she cursed herself for not being able to hide her feelings.

Just when Nick was about to ask again, Catherine and Warrick entered the breakroom.

"Hey guys, guess what? No news. Seems like the bugman is really out for the weekend." Catherine sounded a bit too cheerful for Sara's taste.

"What about Grissom?" She had to ask, anything else might seem suspicious. After all, she shouldn't know anything about him and the little lie he had fed Catherine.

The others looked surprised, obviously having forgotten that Sara was not there the night before.

"Uhm," Nick started but didn't know how to tell her the news. He didn't want to worry her.

When he didn't continue, Catherine took over. "He left work last night because his mother had an accident and broke her leg. He flew out and probably won't be back before Monday. We're on our own."

She tried to look seriously worried and succeeded since Warrick hastened to reassure her. "Catherine spoke to him on the phone. He didn't sound too worried."

With a curt nod, she turned to Catherine and looked expectantly, waiting for the assignments.

xxxxx

Sara groaned as she crawled from under the car. She had to help Nick with a hit-and-run. The car, which had been reported stolen a week ago, had been found later on, dumped in a ditch. She had gotten stuck with the examination. The odd thing was, there seemed to be no trace of the actual hit.

There was no damage to the car, but they had several eyewitnesses who claimed to have seen a car with this license plate.

At that moment of frustration, her pager went off. 'Call me. Bear'

"What?" A grin broke out on her face as she figured out what the message meant. He had actually used code, a very strange but cute code at that.

"Whoa, don't let that see Nick."

She hadn't heard Warrick come in, and now he was standing right behind her, reading over her shoulder. She sent a glare his way, and he held up his hands in defense.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise."

Sara trusted Warrick. If he gave his word, he meant it. Nick would never leave her alone if he got wind of this, and although they were buddies, Warrick had given his word.

"Why are you here?"

Warrick moved away from her and went to inspect the car. "Grissom called and I thought you'd like to know."

There was a light undertone, but it was hard to pinpoint what he really wanted to say. He knew that under normal circumstances, she would be worried about Grissom's absence. Things got more complicated now that Nick was speculating about a new man in her life, and Warrick himself had read the message on her pager. What would he think about her now? She couldn't tell; his voice and face not giving much away either.

"He said he might be back tomorrow after all. But I think the real reason he called is that he was afraid that Catherine might beat him to it."

He smirked, knowing that his assessment was probably right on the spot. The man who was usually such a mystery was well known after all.

"Thank you."

Suddenly, she remembered her own phone call from Grissom. "Hey Warrick, I've got to make a call. Could you tell Nick that I found noth…" Sara stopped.

She had wandered around the car to stand next to Warrick, but she had noticed something she had previously overlooked.

"What does that look like to you?" She pointed to the rear license plate.

Warrick took a magnifying glass and bent down to inspect the plate. "Fresh scratch."

"So, is it possible that someone switched this plate to another car?"

Before Warrick could answer, Sara hurried out of the room to find Nick, her phone call forgotten.

xxxxx

It was almost an hour later when she was reminded of the message again by a new one. 'Urgent, call me. B'

"Shit!" she cursed, berating herself that she had forgotten to call. The case was hot, yes, but how could she have forgotten Grissom?

Nick was watching her, trying to figure out what had gotten her so riled up.

"I have to make a call. It's nothing about the case. Uhm, I'll be back soon."

He watched her go, shaking his head and wondering why Sara was behaving so strangely. Maybe it really was a new guy.

That thought made him happy and had him worried at the same time. Although he knew he should keep out of her personal life, he couldn't help himself. Sara was too important to him.

Once the decision was made, he decided to recruit some help. It would only get him into more trouble later on, but right now he didn't care.

He took his cell phone out to contact the reinforcement: Catherine.

TBC


	19. Messages

Growing Up

Part 19: Messages

Summary: Grissom has an unusual request for Sara.

A/N: Sorry that this chapter is so short, but things got mixed up a little bit and I had to improvise. Hope you still like it.

xxxxx

"Thank god. Sara, why haven't you called earlier?"

She could hear the fatigue in his voice and listened closer. There was no crying in the background, and she wondered if she should be relieved or even more worried.

"Is everything alright? Something wrong with Amelia?"

His silence told her that everything was not all right, but what was it and how bad?

"She's fine, but I can't say the same of me."

She was worried for another moment before understanding set in. Grissom appeared to have the same problem she had had last night. "Grissom, what am I supposed to do? If I come home now, how will that look?"

She was behaving strangely already, and Nick had taken notice. If she left now, she was sure that they would put one and one together and they were not ready for so much exposure.

"I know," Grissom sighed.

He had probably thought about it as much as she had.

"That's not why I'm calling. Could you sing that lullaby again, to my answering machine?"

It took a second for the words to sink in, but when they did, it hit her hard. Sara burst out laughing. The idea was just too absurd, but she could tell he was dead serious.

"If she's not sleeping, try other music. I'm _not_ going to sing to your answering machine."

Maybe she was getting paranoid, but she looked around for the tenth time. If someone heard her, she would not only be mortified, but she could also get into trouble. This was not something she wanted others to find out, especially since she was seriously contemplating to do what Grissom asked.

"It's not that she isn't sleeping; she does fall asleep. But half an hour later she's up again."

The fact that Grissom had troubles with the girl too assured and worried her at the same time.

"She just doesn't sleep… deep enough. And I was hoping that if I played her the song from today, she could really fall asleep."

Grissom had not yet reached the same state of desperation, but he was willing to beg Sara to do it.

"Hang up and get that tape ready."

Having been in a similar position the day before, she didn't have the heart to refuse him, no matter how ridiculous the whole idea seemed.

She could hear his relief and the hope in his voice as he thanked her.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice something to help.

xxxxx

Sara entered the lab again about forty minutes after she had left in a hurry.

"Sorry for the long break. Did you make any progress?"

The moment she had come in, Nick had started searching for any kind of clue as to what was going on. She looked slightly flustered and was nervous about something, but he didn't see anything else that would tell him the reason for her unusual behavior.

"Nick?" When she called his name, he realized that he had zoned out while she had asked him about the case.

"Uh yeah, the plate traced back to Michael Fisher, but he reported his car stolen. And since we already know that wasn't the car involved in the hit-and-run…"

Sara nodded, following Nick so far, but she was getting impatient. Where was the progress?

"Guess what? His brother has a car that matches the description. Coincidence?"

"There was no trace of a break in on the car."

"And here comes the bummer. There was no connection between the vic and Michael Fisher, _but_ guess who owed the vic some money?"

Nick was very proud of the development, almost too proud for Sara's liking.

"But why didn't he use his brother's car? Why total his own car?" She looked over the photos from the crime scene again, hoping to find the clue that they seemed to be missing.

"How before why, remember?"

A huff of frustration escaped her, but she relented. "Okay, have they found the car yet?"

"Brass is already on it."

With that, an odd sense of relaxation set in that always came with waiting for a new piece of evidence. Along with that she felt the sizzle of anticipation of being close to cracking the case wide open.

"Good, let's hope they find it soon."

Suddenly, Nick's posture changed. His face told her that he was no longer focused on work.

He was going to ask her again, she could see that.

To avoid his questioning, Sara hurried to gather the files and leave the room.

She was out before Nick could open his mouth.

xxxxx

It was convenient that it didn't take Brass long to find the car. The car had been behind the house of Peter Michael. Brass had secured a warrant and it had been towed in before shift was over.

Sara spent the remainder of the night in the garage, partially to wrap up the case and partially to avoid talking to Nick.

It seemed to work and she was actually making headway in the case.

The car showed exactly the damage the other one had been missing. She found signs of impact, blood and fibers; enough to validate that this was indeed the vehicle used in the hit-and-run.

The only question left now was why?

She got that answer during the questioning. It was plain and simple stupidity mixed with a good measure of greed that had led to the switch of the cars.

The man had thought that he could get rid of the man he owed money, pull one over his brother and cash in some money from the insurance for another accident at the same time. That was all he had been thinking.

Stupid.

Most criminals were stupid, and this guy was certainly no exception.

TBC


	20. Sleep

Growing Up

Part 20: Sleep

Summary: It is time to say goodbye.

A/N: I'm not quite sure what to do with this story now. I have continued writing this, but I don't know whether to continue 'Growing Up' or start a new story for a new leave in their relationship. So there WILL be a continuation.

xxxxx

Click!

The camera made a soft sound as she took a shot.

Sara was standing in the entrance of the bedroom, admiring the sight in front of her. It had been irresistible, and she had fetched her camera to take a few shots.

Grissom lay on the bed curled up around Amelia. His right arm was thrown over her protectively and his left arm cushioned her head. Amelia was snuggled up to his chest.

As Sara watched them, that feeling rose again. Her imagination took flight as she pictured a scene very similar to this. She shook her head to clear it but stored the picture away, not willing to let it go completely.

Maybe some day.

Sara hesitated for a second, her desire to join them warring with the one to let him get his much needed sleep. The night had probably been hard on him. In the end she decided to leave them alone and went to the kitchen to prepare some breakfast.

They only had today until they both had to back at work and she wanted to make the most of it.

She finished breakfast in silence, but then her ears picked up a sound. It was a muffled giggle coming from the bedroom.

She left the tray on the kitchen counter and tiptoed towards the bedroom, again with the camera in her hand.

The door was open just wide enough for her to look through, and she saw Grissom lying on his side, facing away from her, while Amelia was not to be seen at first sight.

Suddenly, the covers were thrown off and a smiling Amelia emerged. "Da!"

They were playing.

Grissom had relaxed to her being here, but the way he had turned his back to the door told her he didn't think she was here yet.

Amelia giggled again and pulled the covers over her to hide.

Sara took her camera and brought it into position. If there were more cute snapshots to be made, she was ready.

At that moment, Grissom spoke up. "Where are you?"

The girl giggled again and pulled the sheet off of herself. "Boo!"

Then she lunged at Grissom, and Sara took the opportunity to take a few photos of them fooling around.

When they took the time to breathe normally again, Grissom must have heard the clicks of the camera and looked over to the door. "Sara?"

He frowned but then it turned to a smile. "That's twice now. Don't let that turn into a habit." He tried to sound stern, but they both knew it lacked conviction.

When he stretched out her hand for her, Sara shook her head. "I have breakfast waiting. Should I get it, or will you two come out?"

xxxxx

Although Sara was tired, they had taken a walk after breakfast. Amelia would not be with them for much longer, but staying in and waiting seemed out of the question. The girl was far too active this morning.

They still had two hours until her parents arrived. With Amelia chasing them around the playground the remaining time elapsed quickly, and Grissom was surprised when he noticed that it was shortly after ten.

Amelia didn't want to go and threw a fit when Sara simply picked her up and walked away. On her third day, Sara was much calmer and secure in such a situation. Amelia could not make her lose her cool with the fit, and Sara let her work through her frustration. She kept talking softly to her until the girl had quieted down.

Grissom, who had remained in the background, was impressed and happy that she was adapting to the situation much better than on their first day. The strength she showed had always been something that fascinated him. Sara grew with every task and this was proof again.

Now, if they could both grow in their relationship, then his hopes and dreams for a future could come true sooner than he thought.

xxxxx

They had just pulled their shoes off when they heard a car pulling up outside.

When Grissom opened the door, he could tell that the Knightleys hadn't gotten much sleep. They looked more than tired and worn out, ready to drop any second. Their weekend hadn't gone as they had planned, obviously.

Grissom could not imagine what it would be like to be thrown into such a situation. On the weekend where you are supposed to relax and have some fun, you get a call telling you that a relative was in the hospital and your child had to stay with strangers because of that.

"Come in." He knew that greetings wouldn't help much; they wanted to see their daughter.

As soon as Amelia saw her parents, she was off into their arms.

"Oh, Ammi!" Her mother picked her up, cradling her in her arms and showering her with kisses.

Patrick Knightley had one arm around his wife and child and the other was wandering over the little form as if to check if she was really alright.

Tears had sprung up in their eyes, happy that it all went over well.

"Thank you." Mr. Knightley was the first to recover and looked over at the two CSIs. "I can't tell you how much this means to us that you were ready to take care of our baby."

Sara blushed a little under all this attention and gratitude, and she knew Grissom was also not far from it, although he remained stoically calm, at least on the outside.

"Again, we were glad we could help. It was an unfortunate accident with your sister, but we enjoyed having Amelia with us."

Sara had to suppress a smile at that, knowing it was not completely true. The nights had been strenuous, but they were not about to tell that to the parents.

Finally, Alex Knightley spoke up. "It's not an adequate compensation for _your_ lost weekend, but we would like to invite you both to dinner some time."

Sara was a bit speechless, but Grissom had apparently anticipated something like that and replied, "That's not necessary, but it would be nice. Thank you."

Their new acquaintances were truly training their social competence. This was a whole new experience, and despite a few uncomfortable moments, he was beginning to like it.

"We have to get going. We need to go and see Grace."

Grissom nodded and moved to the back of his house to fetch Amelia's things from the bedroom. Together with Patrick Knightley, he loaded everything into the car.

Sara took the time to say goodbye to Amelia. It felt weird after three days. She couldn't believe how hard it was.

Amelia hugged her and waved when her mother carried her out.

When Grissom took his turn to say goodbye, she remained respectfully in the background. He was so gentle with the girl and her heart warmed. As she watched Grissom hug the girl, looking more open than with any other person, she realized just how much Amelia had helped them.

Without her, Grissom might have never found the courage to open up to her as well.

It was not the Knightleys who should be grateful, she should be.

She vowed to show Amelia her appreciation, even if she never knew why.

Sara waved to the girl as the car drove off, leaving her and Grissom alone again.

When the car was out of sight, she felt his arm wrap around her waist, hugging her to him. He drew comfort from her and hoped to return the favor.

"So…what are we going to do now?"

Sara leaned further into Grissom, soaking up his warmth. "Bed?"

"Sounds heavenly."

The End?


End file.
